This is a conservative figure ............... it will also curb our enthusiasm for investing and salary savings. It may discourage Bahamians from participating in the banking sector as well.......... and participate in the black market for everyday goods and services.

Will also cause companies to downsize...not hire new employees, and maybe even lay off old ones.

I abhor vat as much as anyone, maybe more, but this figure of $2000 per citizen is grossly inflated to say the least and wrong. The government estimates that in a fiscal year vat revenues will total 300 million. With a population of 350,000 this amounts to $857 per citizen on average, a far cry from $2000!

I think it's unfair to use every man, woman and child in your estimate. I know that adults (who incur the vast majority of expenses that attract VAT) will have to pay an extra $2,000 each, children nowhere near as much. Thus the original estimate seems reasonable. Also, when talking of averages, some will be above, some below.....this is how an average is arrived at

Our labour force (those adults available for work) stands at 197,333 according to the last *Bahamas Labour Force Survey.* Assuming your figure of $300m is the approximate VAT revenue collected in year one, it works out to be about $1500 VAT per adult of working age on average.

When our National Debt of $5.8 billion is divided by the same labour force figure, we're looking at roughly $29400 of debt per adult of working age, incurred by successive governments presumably to supply services and spending programs for and to the wider population over many years.

So we need about 20 years of VAT at current rates just to get control of our National Debt, assuming we don't borrow anymore to fund things we cannot actually afford. That may well mean skipping takeaway lunches, yes, as some taxpayers have tragically noted already.

Now we need, as a matter of urgency, a Fiscal Responsibility Act to support the goal of debt reduction, instead of leaving a massive debt for our children and grandchildren to try and pay back when we're all dead and gone (from malnutrition, as a result of having less hamburgers and buckets of fried chicken in our daily diets).

It is very clear from the article that the sample size is every citizen of the Bahamas. It says nothing about the size of the labour force, in fact this the quote from Mr. Christie:
The estimated impact for every consumer is about $2,000,” he told Tribune Business. “For each citizen, you’ve just got a sudden decrease of $2,000.
So the sample size is 350,000 and the correct amount is $857 per citizen, not $2000. I agree with you completely on the issue of fiscal responsibility, but we need to be data driven ( and accurate!) in making wise arguments and decisions.

Agreed, obviously yes, but its not quite a sample size as nothing has been surveyed or sampled, merely a figure plucked randomly from the sky as representing all citizens, some of whom VAT won't affect (e.g. infants and children who don't 'consume' at any great level, but for whom future National Debt repayments will likely be an issue) but simultaneously ignoring a large tranche of tourists who will contribute a reasonable share of annual VAT revenue (but for whom National Debt is not a responsibility).

And that is why using labour force figures, as opposed to every man, woman and child, is particularly useful as a *comparison* to the figures used in Mr Christie's calculations (and yours). Especially when considering the VAT's stated intention was to generate revenue to reduce the National Debt, and when its the labour force who is group in society most usually targeted by governments for future debt repayment obligations (via general taxation) were a consumption tax not used.

When have governments estimates ever been correct. They simply do not know, what they have, what they are spending, or what they have the private sector collecting for them as they can not even collect the taxes owed to them. The Government of the Bahamas is a massive FAILURE! We are ruled by idiots who only care about their power and money.

Instead of 'guess-timating', keep accurate record of VAT paid each week/month. @7.50% one would have to spend more than $27,000.00 per annum. Do a contrast with Income Tax on comparable earning.

Exactly, again this is why the $2000 per citizen is wrong. The average person in this country does not earn, much less spend $27,000 on vatable goods and services.

I don't think you understand the word average.

Since November of 2014 to now, 90% of **everything** I have purchased, from garbage bags to a bag of rice to lunch downtown, has gone up, on average 20%. No kidding, no lies, no exaggeration. The ONLY thing that has gone down is gas, by about 20%. Seeing that most of my disposable income is spent on grocery items and lunches, I fully expect my expenses to go up by well over $2,000 p.a. this year.

THATS THE BEST CALCULATION FOR THE DAY ......... . THAT WOULD BE THE SENTIMENTS OF 90% OF BAHAMIANS