Although I am not in support of the proposed VAT increase, it is interesting that if you ask the average person in the crowd if the govt should, 1) reduce funding to social services 2) stop the prescription drug plan, 3) stop NHI, or reduce other social "benefits" they receive, they would all say no.

**People don't understand that the govt has been borrowing and borrowing for them to get the "free" benefits they do and the bills must be paid.**

Couldn't agree with you more. How do we expect to pay for all of these services that we feel entitled to? Any right thinking Bahamian should be advocating for fiscal responsibility to ensure that our economy remains strong and viable. Yes, 12% is tough to shallow and may be unbearable for some, but I guarantee, if we live within our means, save our money and stop spending unnecessarily to keep up with others, we would be in a better place financially as individuals.

This ‘march’ presented was a complete embarrassment and these workers unfortunately do not understand that they are being used as pawns.

Island Luck made it mandatory for their workers to participate, what kind of foolishness is this.... then the disgraced PLPs were also present, what an utter and complete joke this was

Ma Comrades, regardless what I think about governing ways Imperial red shirts, I am not in favour organized individuals being used as a 'firewall' to put a halt tax increases being levied against Numbers Houses. There are Protesters and then there are Actors.... Let the 'PeoplePublic' decide, whom, what and when brush aside... and being they were able brush aside referendum's paid actors noise in market from price Numbers fish.... I am confident right decision makin'. For PLP politicians join-in with crowd - has be purest form political leadership hypocrisy.... But sadly, there are hypocrites both sides considering some big shot red shirts were right up there being handsomely paid advocate for "Vote YES" side.

We have a very simple problem, since independence we have been living beyond our means and it is better to address this debt sooner rather than later. We have more government than we can afford and this budget has done little to cut expenditures. Yes, we need to increase tax revenue but our bloated inefficient civil service needs to be cut and we need to sell even at a loss these govt corporations that year after year bleed the treasury dry. Can not simply be every budget increasing taxes, there is a limit to what the country can bear.

The PLP being in attendance is just politics. Everyone knows unless they have terminal stage 4 amnesia that it was recently the PLP or the Christie administration who had been recklessly borrowing and borrowing for the past few years millions and millions of dollars from institutions that hate us (brown, black people/nations) and is trying to trap us in debt, this is Globalism's, Jim Crow, ask Jamaica.

What strange bedfellows! The PLP and the Number Boys! Surprise! Surprise!

The two most ruinous entities in our once beautiful country!

PLP and numbers boys, is there a difference between the two?

YES THERE IS A BIG BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PLP AND THE NUMBERS BOYS.....

The only persons who went against the vote of tens of thousands of PLPs, FNMS , DNAs, every other voter are..... 25 PLP MEMBERS of Parliament.....the FNM MPs voted against it.....in Parliament to legalise web shops.
Cannot hold it against all their supporters

There are many voters or persons who may in one election visibly and loudly proclaim their support for any party but change in another election.
Many Voters know what is right from wrong

the consumers 100 dollars is only worth

The consumers l00 dollar will only purchase $88 dollars The other $12 goes to the FNM
Government. So Your money has been devalued by the Government. The buying power
has been decreased.

4$$ The Bahamian dollar

it is foolish to believe that all the country debt is caused by the PLP in the last
Five years but there are millions of fools out there and many are born every day.

The FNM has been in power 16 years the PLP 10. After the PLP first 5 years the
FNM Papa said the PLP left the treasury in excellent shape. Remember the 100
million dollars road over run when the PLP came into office. Turnquest and doc
fooled you all really good and the people's time voters deserve all they will get
they voted out of spite and they believed the lies.

"it is foolish to believe that all the country debt is caused by the PLP in the last Five years but there are millions of fools out there and many are born every day.

And Birdiebrain, you are the biggest fool of them all!

The Guardian reports:

$35 million loan facilitates a climate-resilient coastal infrastructure and management program that will focus on building resilience into coastal infrastructure.

So, in other words, building sea walls.

$500,000 grant will help to facilitate diagnostic studies in the digital economy, blue economy and boutique agriculture.

So, in other words, researching the internet and gardens.

Is this an emergency!!!! They told us the country is broke!!! This is what they are spending our VAT dollars on. I am speechless. I have nothing to say but that the FNM is pure evil. To raise VAT and starve our children for pork projects for cronies is the evilest act I can imagine.

If you are taught garbage (and lies, untruths) for 50 years,
It is hard to cope with reality. These who march probably do so because their jobs have been threatened if they don't. They work for the numbers shops because there isn't much else they can do.
As a group they are a sad indictment of our past 50 year history.
I assure you they have no clue or care about the consequences of debt default or devaluation, or any thought past lunchtime.
By legalizing the numbers "Industry" the PLP have created the biggest destabilizing force our country has ever seen, That need no imports, no inventory, insurance, and little operating overheads aside minimum wage salaries.
Depending on how far they go, legal or not they could end up being considered "domestic terrorists...."

Can someone show me where the nearest plantation is ‘I’s ain’t wanna be’s Free no mo’re. I’s too Expensive, freedom costs to much, Massachusetts. The rent and the internet and the telephone bill And the cable and the light bill and dis VAzt wat keeps a increasing massa. Sure nuff we never had to pay it on the plantation, mo sit massa. ‘. The nearest plantation, hurry come quick massa, yes they’s A come cut of my light. Again ‘

John. Haven't you read my post? The FNM is the PLP 2.0. They are borrowing and starting pork projects. They will use our VAT to pay off their cronies for their election victory. Nothing has changed!!! Freedom is fine. A corrupt, non transparent government is not!!! Sure, the FNM might not steal the money outright, because they are more crafty than the PLP. But it looks like they will launder our VAT funds into non essential, pork projects to benefit their crony benefactors, which is basically the same thing at the end of the day.