The Tribune

It must be election season. The promises are beginning.

On the eve of the VAT rate on unprepared food items being cut from ten percent to five percent, starting from April 1, Prime Minister Philip Davis is suggesting there is more to come. But there’s a catch.

Mr Davis was asked yesterday if there would be further VAT decreases with the general election approaching, to which he said that if the Bahamian people work with him as they have been, “likely cuts will be imminent”.

He did preface the suggestion by saying that it depends on the country’s fiscal standing, but it certainly seems like Mr Davis is dangling a promise.

Quite how “imminent” that may be we do not know – perhaps something to look forward to for Budget day?

And quite how “imminent” that may make an election call is another matter.

There have been suggestions circulating that an early election might be on the table – but nothing from government itself to back those rumours up.

In the meantime, we have this first VAT cut coming our way.

FNM leader Michael Pintard has a valid point in calling for the removal of VAT on some items. Medicines and feminine hygiene products are both good examples of areas where costs should be cut if possible. These are things people need.

In yesterday’s Tribune, we reported that the government had put in place the prospect of increasing taxes on unhealthy foods.

While Minister of Health Dr Michael Darville said there were no plans to actually impose such taxes – a curious way of doing business, by the way, to lay down rules to tax people without intending to do so – perhaps that is where the balance should lie. Tax the unhealthy products to cut the tax on the essential ones.

Still, that too might be part of a pre-election consideration. No government wants to be raising any taxes ahead of election day if they can help it.

What you can be sure of is that there will be a lot more of these kinds of hints – from both parties – as we draw nearer to whatever date is selected for the eventual election.

Action please

This week, we reported on a tugboat and barge that have been grounded on a reef for more than a year.

In today’s Tribune, you can read about the silence from government officials on the issue.

Frankly, it is not the delay in responding to The Tribune’s questions anyone should be frustrated about, it is that officials have taken so long in dealing with the matter that the questions were necessary at all.

This is our own backyard, and we are letting a rusted, broken-up vessel cause damage to the coral reef in what is designated a protected national park. Protected how exactly?

One volunteer diver noted: “Every time the tug shifts in heavy swells, it scrapes away more of the reef. We’ll dive back down and find broken coral colonies, half-buried gorgonians and fresh rubble.”

The diver called it “heartbreaking”.

If we are serious about environmental protection, this sort of thing needs to be sorted out as quickly as possible – not taking more than a year and still no answers.

Or are the government’s words about caring for our environment just that – words?

Judge them by their actions. Let’s see how quickly they act now.