The back-peddling that this incompetent idiot and the dimwitted Doc are now trying to do is truly pathetic. When the Christie-led administration misguidedly implemented the regressive VAT at 7.5%, they were at least praised for keeping zero rated and exempt items to an absolute minimum thereby creating a much more collection efficient and easy to administer VAT system, with low cost ease in auditing compliance by all VAT registrants. But now we see Turnquest and Minnis upsetting that apple cart in an effort to hand out candy in the form of VAT exemptions and zero rated VAT items that will add enormous complexity, inefficiency, leakages and noncompliance issues to what was otherwise a well designed taxation system, albeit a very misguided regressive one. These two bozos, Turnquest and Minnis, are flying by the seat of their pants without any regard for appropriate modelling and sensitivity analyses that should be subjected to proper vetting by leading VAT experts within the Bahamian private sector. What is now going on here in all the back-peddling is the absolute height of lunacy and insanity by two bozos hell bent on taxing us the maximum extent they feel they can politically get away with. And as for Marlon Johnson, he is so far out of his depth as Financial Secretary that he alone poses a most serious threat to the financial security of our nation. These three bozos, Minnis, Turnquest and Johnson, know not what great harm they doeth us and our country!

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. . .doc ger gee you "da tissic" because you can't keep up with him there out maneuvering you all over the place. . .PLENTY OF US JUST GONE WITH HIM COS PLENTY PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO PAY VAT ON LIGHT AND BREAD BASKET ITEMS. . .DUTY GERN DOWN ETC!! BOOYA. . .ROCING WIT DOC!!

Now go collect your pay cheque from the dimwitted Doc. Hopefully it's not somehow drawn on The Public Treasury.

Wow. It never ceases to amaze. As was pointed out, all they have to do to compensate for that is raise the fuel surcharge. What should concern you more is that in three days theyve so casually backpedalled on multiple items, excluding this, reducing that, it must be ripping their revenue assumptions to shreds. further shows how little thought went into the original projections, they had no idea of the impact of introducing the tax and no idea of the impact of picking it apart piece by piece.

The strange thing is, this Government, like almost all before them, never give any relief to the business community and seem quite content to suck it dry. Why they think the business sector, which usually has larger bills than the residential, is deserving of a higher rate structure on utilities, for example, is beyond me. Don't they realize that if the business and working class disappear there won't be anyone left to pay ANY taxes? Not rocket science! It had been hoped that if there were more elected politicians with business acumen the country would be run better. The trouble is, these phat katz are just too disconnected from the majority that elected them......

Da comrade Imperial red shirts scrambling justification brungs value 12% VAT. Soon announce be no 12% on ya Knickers.

This is great news for all those homes that can afford to invest in solar electricity generation.

Ma Comrade, VAT added Light Bill “very tiny measured in Ants, grains of sand, and portion size compared to cost electricity. few surcharges, etc. Few, if any, have had their fridges turned off over failure afford VAT... so let's address lowering real costs.

**What?? Please tell us where this world is where diehard FNM supporters live in but don't have calculators. 7.5% off of $200 is $15. In what world does $15 per month per you on the path to purchase solar before year 3218?**

The only thing these fellows are good at is telling LIES. They do not know what they are
doing. they just blunder along,

This Turnquest man is a serious fellow. he finds fault with MR: Davis because he will not
committee to changing VAT. does he know Changes have to be implemented properly
and it makes no sense to change the rates every few years.

Turnquest check yourself you fellows said that VAT was bad for the Bahamas. Then
you come into power and increase the rate on something that you all said was DEAD wrong.
same as the spy bill, BAR MAR and so many other things,

And do you realize that VAT was supposed to be implemented at 15% but was only introduced at 7.5%? Key word there is introduced....think about it. we can all put this discussion to rest...Using the freedom of speech that you praised just last week. Please give us your solutions to the current predicament that we find ourselves in financially as a Bahamaland.

**First solution! please stop putting this arbitrary, completely unnecessary, three year, balance the budget timeline on us. That will solve 98% of the problem.**

Exactly right.

What does killing the Bahamian the poor ones have to do with Turnquest suit.
He sounds like the FNM woman on the house floor who talked about men beating their wives
Apples and oranges. it makes no sense The Bahamian people have been betrayed,
"THE JUDUS" Some believed the FNM Government was going to repeal VAT. They
gave that impression by their utterances.

Birdie another round of drivel yet still not solution. Sadly, that's the majority of us, we just talk because we have a mouth, it doesn't matter that we have nothing of substance to say.
As for thisis ours, the three year timeline is obviously based on the potential time limit in office considering the way we as Bahamians hold political grudges. The reality, is that they have a plan and a timeline which is better than I can say for past governments of both parties. Finally, a group is saying, we have to stop borrowing and here is a plan for it, albeit an unfavourable plan.

This is just smoke and mirrors. What happens when BEC can't net off their vat expenses and have to raise their base rates/fuel surcharge? We'll be right back to square one.

Yep. A matter of when.

KB. Time to start signing your "Jokey" song again. We gone backwards.

Told a friend today that this Minnis reminds me so clearly of Donald Trump. They create a big unnecessary crisis then sweep in to solve the crisis and their blind followers say see! Look how wonderful he is, I tell y'all, he's really looking out for us, good job. @licks.

I'm still waiting to hear the other solutions that will help us to get out of the current debt that we are in.

Just go online and read the Budget .......... Thats a start.

63,000 Bahamian households have a <$200 monthly light bill ...... That is who will save ........

This will motivate people to conserve electricity now.

It's $15 per month @sheeprunner, for those with bills under $100 it's $7.50.. It's "something" I guess. Like I said before, another Trump move, create chaos so you have something to solve. Super Mnnis.

@vlmarshall As to a solution I was quite serious before. Remove the arbitrary unnecessary artificial three year timeline. It's like the woman who starts dieting and exercising so she can lose 50 lbs for the wedding in two weeks. She "could" do it, but she "will" end up in the hospital, either from unnecessary stress or symptoms of starvation. A much better realistic goal is 50 lbs in 52 weeks. One lb per week.

Well a max of $24 once the rate goes up, but thats the most it can be. Still better then nothing. Unfortunate for most of the year it will be nothing for me.

Just search for "Bahamas national budget" you'll get it. I pasted it, but it disappeared.

@ thisisours, if the current government is unable to get the budget balanced in this term do you think they will be voted back in for another term to continue working towards balancing the budget? the timeline is necessary that's the point of having a goal, setting a time to complete it.

that is so nonsensical it's almost unbelievable. ALL and I mean ALL of the experts are telling you, while balancing the budget is a worthy objective, your three year timeline is overly ambitious and could throw the country into a tailspin. It's unnecessary. BUT you've actually uncovered what I believe is the real rationale behind it, election campaign slogan.

Listen, this is not the books for you million dollar company. This is a country.

Ok:)

O goody. 15 minutes of fan a day and ya don't have to cook all the meals at one time.

Why can't the dump give us energy?