***"And Charles Turner, the Customs Comptroller, last year told this newspaper that the agency had been experiencing “challenges” in keeping pace with the courier sector, and the surge in imports generated by Bahamians purchasing online."***

You mean that your management does not plan ahead and you were caught flat footed.

Just hope there are no sacred cows.! As this is what makes it more difficult for the tax complying citizens and businesses. And even for junior tax collectors when they see their bosses and supervisors cutting deals in front of their eyes and containers of goods being released and little or no duty being collected. It is true some stores are already adjusting their prices upward to account for additional taxes and others have downsized or have plans to close because they no longer have a competitive edge when they have to pay additional taxes.

> Mr Wilson said the store’s owner was
> “driving a $200,000 Mercedes”, and
> added that the Inland Revenue “knew we
> were correct” in its suspicions when
> his pastor visited to plead his case

LOL. Is his pastor a tax lawyer?

Also I would like to know who these couriers are to ensure that the duties I pay go to the govt.

If the politicians would untie Simon Wilson's hands and tongue ............ he would clean up the financial mess of the Treasury & Budget in ONE year ............ Please let this man do his JOB

I think you'd be surprised who's "hands and tongue" are cutting deals and who's working "hand in hand" with the politicians.

Yes, Mr. Wilson but go after the civil servants who, for whatever reason, turn a blind eye or don't collect the correct tax first. Don't make life impossible for business to operate.

Maybe you should spend more time in ares such as Bain Town. You might be surprised to find out ow much you can collect..

This is the same ministry that approved BAMSI, and the Granny panty Christmas decorations. Nobody will be surprised. Remember the Potters Cay project that jumped 9 million dollars? I wonder who submitted those contracts? Just watch the other pre-election contracts handed out while they look to squeeze those not in the circle

**......... “He said he sits in the back of the church, always gives us what we want" ..........**

Matthew 7:15 - Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Pastors have always been purveyors of criminality and the worst kind prostitutes in society willingly turning a blind eye to corruption for the right price!

Our country is drowning in corruption with the full blessings of clergy in exchange for Crown land, money and all manner of shameless deviance.

"*“That money is going to cars, lifestyles,” he said. “That money is not going to the Treasury. They were stealing the money, to be frank.”*

"*Wilson said the store’s owner was “driving a $200,000 Mercedes”, and added that the Inland Revenue “knew we were correct” in its suspicions when his pastor visited to plead his case.*"

It's funny how they can connect the dots with the "Bain Town" business but give the likes of suddenly rich Shane Gibson a handshake and the savvy businessman award.

Right on. Shame Gibson's family too!

Can anyone honestly say it's not getting worse and worse?
Is our country any better off since we started collecting more and more tax?
Will it ever get any better, or is this the best it will be?
Maybe that's why so many revert to prayer.

Not getting better. This is just a way for them to continue spending like drunken sailors. They collected a billion dollars in VAT with no significant decrease in customs duties and they blew ALL of it. They collected HALF the ENTIRE budget in revenue and ended up with a 300 million deficit. The problem isn't the amount of money they're getting in, the problem is the people approving the money going out

You have to laugh when it is described as stealing from the government when all we see day after day is money squandered on futile projects, contracts given to political cronies. How about unsecured (large) loans to individuals by
the BOB which is now deep in debt and our taxes go to keeping it on life support.

Has any politician disclosed yin 5 years yet as required by law? It was common knowledge that the courier companies were not paying customs duties on much of the packages they were bringing in and a number of the owners became multi- millionaires overnight. It is also common knowledge that certain stores in this country bring hundreds if not thousands of containers annually and only pay pennies on the dollar of what is owed to customs. In many cases the businesses are owned by politicians or operated by their families. This makes it near impossible for legitimate businesses to operate and cover all their expenses, taxes included. You can bet that once Wilson touches one of these 'sacred cows ', he will be stripped of his powers, sent to some remote office to shuffle paper and be given a roll of duct tape to keep his mouth shut.

Nobody is stripping Wilson of anything. Remember he's right next to the minister approving contracts.

This is nothing new in this country. The politicians pass laws they don't intend to abide by. So not only do they become filthy rich overnight but they prevent legitimate businesses from making a profit. They government becomes seeped in debt and so they go back to the parliament and pass laws to increase taxes even more. And every they do this they give themselves a greater advantage. That's how eight families in the world control as much wealth as all the rest of the population in the world combined.

The Financial Secretary is a civil servant and a trained professional who is responsible for advising the Cabinet and individual Minister(s) of the best fiscal practices .......... but Cabinet has the final say on HOW the Budget allocations are spent .......... and the FS has to then play Houdini to clean up the financial mess of the crooked politicians ...... Wilson should be commended for his forthrightness (in the face of the PLP Mafia)

So if the government settles with the other 35 for similar amounts, you get 81 Million collected. Since the average settlement is typically a fraction of what is actually owing; we can assume a $150-300MM theft.