Friday, August 16, 2013
By NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
A WELL-KNOW QC yesterday said he was expecting instructions “any day now” to mount a class action lawsuit against the Government over new taxes, adding that, “Everything Freeport is supposed to stand for, the Government continues to suck from it.”
Fred Smith QC, the Callenders and Co attorney and partner, told Tribune Business: “We are waiting for the Chamber of Commerce to sort of round up the team as it were and we’re expecting instruction any day now to mount an action against the Government. Whether it is through the Chamber of Commerce or through individual licensees or a collective group of licensees ,a class action will be mounted against the Government for this continuing abuse. It’s an action that will probably chronologise the year after year abuse so that the court understands that this is not just an isolated incident of wrongdoing by the Government. Year after year the Government finds some way to penalise and tax a place called Free-port which is not supposed to have taxes. Everything Freeport is supposed to stand for the Government continues to suck from it.”
The Grand Bahama Chamber of Commerce recently held a Town Hall meeting to discuss new Customs regulations, VAT and the 2015 Hawksbill Creek Land Act. The taxes that have caused most consternation in Freeport are the new 1 per cent Customs administrative processing fee; the ‘Environmental Levy’, and the host of aviation-related fees. “It’s so good to see the licensees finally sticking up for themselves. In the late 1960s they were brutalised with the licensing and immigration issues. It’s taken licensees a long time to recover from the illegal barbaric treatment visited on them by the Government in the late 60s and early 70s. Since then they have been left to the tender mercies of the Port Authority and successive governments. It’s been a real pity that the Government not only stripped the licensees of their rights but also the Port Authority and so the Port Authority become nothing more than a vessel for exacting taxes from licensees and licensees got nothing back in return for decades and decades,” said Mr Smith.
Comments
david2323 says...
Bahamas needs to put financial crooks in prison for a long time like the U.S. does!
Posted 16 August 2013, 1:20 p.m. Suggest removal
TalRussell says...
I wonder if I can call upon the well known QC to do some research within his circles to find out whatever happened to the millions of dollars in shares (7.5% ownership in GBPA) issued to Bahamaland's government? If the government is not in possession of the shares, where in the hell did those shares disappear to? Who has them?
Posted 16 August 2013, 6 p.m. Suggest removal
FACTSPOLICE says...
Tal check PLP. Freeport should cut themselves off from this corrupt Nassau, so too should Abaco, they would do better on their own. Opportunist abounds in the PLP. More Bahamians need to join QC in bring this worthless Government down. they do not deserve to be there. Wonder how the PGC new Lexus is working out, all they all do is show off and grand stand, spending yours and all the pubics money. Ask them when will Poncianna drive and the rest of the countries roads are going to be paved, when will the damage done by hurrican sandy be cleaned up, all the beaches along west bay street are eroding, the roads by caves point has still not yet been completed, and did you see the disgusting barrier they are putting up by peanuts taylor old home...shanty indeed, cutting corners. Then they paid RANMAR construction close to 8M to renovate the JL building on blake road, building all sorts of new Govt. buildings and wasting money on non priorties. The Roads needs fixing before a new building, first fix the ones they own now....all or most of them delapidated and nasty!
Posted 16 August 2013, 6:23 p.m. Suggest removal
John says...
I dont smoke but the new taxes on cigsrettes is didgraceful. The price doubled (for the poor man) overnight. And while government that it is not collecting about $20 million a year on tobbacco imports due to smuggling, it decides to double the tax on the poor man who is already paying. SO WHILE THE RESIDENT in Lyford Cay can continue to fly his cigarettes in duty free on his private jet, and while residents in the northern Bahamas can bring cigarettes in on speed boats and others on yatchs residents in the inner cities must pay almost $8.00 for a pack of cigarettes...damn near the price of a lobster tail on Montagu!! Cry shame Bahamas!!!
Posted 16 August 2013, 10:18 p.m. Suggest removal
UserOne says...
Really, John? You are concerned about poor people not being able to afford cigarettes? I saw a man the other day at the Montagu scrounging through the garbage cans. He took out the remains of a Kentucky dinner and was eating the bones. There are people here in need of food; they certainly don't need cigarettes.
Posted 16 August 2013, 10:54 p.m. Suggest removal
john33xyz says...
Those starving people need to consult with all the young gals who have had and continue to have "belly swell syndrome". They get FREE BABY FOOD to raise their babies. I don't know who pays for it or subsidizes it - but I know they don't cause they don't have any jobs.
Check them out - they might tell you the secret to free baby food. I know it's only baby food - but probably better and with more vitamins than left over KFC.
Posted 17 August 2013, 8:58 p.m. Suggest removal
melanyjames says...
What the government did all these years to these people is totally wrong. Filing a lawsuit is the best way to get back what's been stolen from them. In order to win, the attorneys must have solid proofs, let's say like <a href="http://empireinv.com/wpcproduct/child-c…">divorce infidelity investigations</a>, that usually leaves the other part involved in the lawsuit with no reply. Any kind of investigations will benefit these people.
Posted 22 January 2015, 8:28 a.m. Suggest removal
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