They are just using the new tax laws as the reason for closing these. They were probably not profitable and now they are able to close without people saying they are going to have issues paying out peoples winnings. If these areas were profitable, they would have seen out the first few months to work out if they could make it or not.

Again, the Tribune leaves readers guessing being they're forever hostile to never mention names Numbers Operators, unless they just happen be Comrades Craig or Sebas.

Sorry to hear about the loss of jobs, but glad to hear more webshops locations are closing. They are a non- productive blight on our society. Hopefully most will close on Long Island, they have been bleeding this island dry.

Here we go. The blame game. These people are just sleazy. Just an excuse to do what they knew would have to happen. Their problem is not taxes,it's over saturation of number houses

They mussy be doing it wrong...if Flowers brings in over 100M a year...I call that a bit hyper profitable...

The gov't better not down down to this blatant attempt to pressure it. Instead it must start deporting those working illegally in this country to create opportunities for those who may lose their jobs because of web shop owners pettiness!

To bad for the 50 workers, the numbers boys wont lose anything,.
Everything is online anyway so they will just make more as they wont have to pay anyone.

Amen!

Second that.

The people also didn’t want casinos and gambling in the 1960’s but their word did not matter. The casinos came and reaped huge profits over the decades and exported most of their profits. Now because a couple Lil colored boys learned how to shake the kitty, everyone thinks ‘das too much money for dem to be making.’ So prove you believe in what you’re doing and apply the same sliding scale taxation to the casinos and see how mopack up and leave, even before the ink dries on your ‘tax to lill’ Legislation. Even if you had proposed to increase taxes gradually over a given period. So how much longer will this dual economy go on? One set of rules and taxation for Bahamians and a less set of rules and taxation for foreigners? And how long will the National Debt continue to climb while taxes continue to increase and the only explanation you can give is ‘da administration before is hoodwinked, bamboozled and had y’all!’ This better be the people’s time this time. Because of its size and the strength in numbers, this FNM Government is getting its way. It is getting everything it wants. And over the next few months it better be Jobs,kids and more jobs! No party will will win an election with the level of taxes and hardship presently in this country.

Thing is, the matter of the casinos that came to existence is because they consulted the government before making any further moves. On taxation, there should have been annual investigations and the owners disclosing the amounts of money.

But the webshops boldly messed themselves up by operating illegally before thinking first.

Show hows much your knowledge is lacking.. The numbers boys also wanted to be licensed since then. They were never even considered seriously until Ingraham used them to finance his campaign, then dissed them.

id say until our powerful and rich elite start investing , we need to do whatever it takes to bring and keep the foreigners.
You don't think the big boys here could have funded as much of Bahamar as Izzy.
Of course , we don't have anyone with big time vision like Izzy or Sol

Island luck has 64 franchisees? Where. . .how. . .in what country?? Are those closed down shops any of IL sub-lets? IL owners have always refused to play by any rules but their own self interests. . .it seems!! I find it strange that the report emphasizes that "after salaries, taxes and all other related costs they only make around 50 million in profit!! Are we that dumb or are they playing a game on us. . .twice? CAPITAL GAINS TAX IS ON GROSS OR NET? One of you financial experst around here please help me to understand this. . .please!

*tax to kill legislation.
*And over the next few months it better bi Jobs, jobs and even more jobs, and less and less taxes. Donald Trump is being forced to relax his ‘no tolerance ‘ immigration policy because there is 1/2 million excess jobs in the US and the number is expected to grow. Don’t wait until Bahamians start to leave in droves to The US before you decide to fix the country. Because many don’t come back. And many Haitians and other immigrants waiting at the boarder.

Does anybody really think that the school supplies , bags, books and free chicken that these Web shop operators give out are done for any other reason than to improve the public perception of their operation when in fact many families are going into debt to make flowers and his cronies rich.

Ma Comrade, I'd wager that unlike the School Lunch Vendors, who go unpaid under the PLP and now Imperial red shirts - the Numbers Man's does pay on time their suppliers school supplies bags, books and free chicken... so fine me whatever weapon they want use as long as school children's win!

they say the locations identified were already underperforming. in other words, they either weren't profitable or weren't profitable enough. Either way, they would have gone under anyway. Listen, John S George gone, Mauras gone, Cafe Johnny Canoe gone, Eastern Airlines gone, Princess hotel gone, etc. Such is life.. no need to make noise about this, jobs come and jobs go.

Mr: Dupuch is speaking truth. He also said after the election that some of the PLP
members of the house were good representatives. some continue to say and
believe that the PLP whom ever they may be,, stole money. If it were true the
FNM would have paraded them in hand cuffs just for the Fun they have no evidence
to support their lies.

some FNM's work for the Numbers business. like wishey, washy Francis one can not
get a straight answer out of him even if it were to save his life.

why has no one ever considered that maybe it isn't the elected one who teifin, but maybe its the lifelong 'employees'? which would explain why no one is ever caught or prosecuted.

11 down 181 to go! Trust the employees will find some sort of DECENT employment.

All Sebas dem needs to do is open 12 laundromats and sell their washers and dryers for 25cents to 50 cents less than Super Wash. Sibsidize charters to run on every route that that other clown has flights and sit back for a few months and let the chickens come home to roost. Sebas already in the gas station business so make da move still.

And all the Minnis-led FNM government needs to do, consistent with the wishes of the vast majority of voters, is pull all of the 'fake' licenses now held by Sebas's various criminal enterprises involved in money-laundering and other illegal activities, and then ensure he is completely cut-off from (1) all banking entities domiciled in our country (including BoB), (2) all clients' accounts maintained by law firms and their affiliated entities, and (3) all other regulated electronic money transfer facilities. With our new all encompassing financial regulations, there's really no underground for this low-life thug to run to anymore. And a national lottery will literally print loads of new money to help defray the costs of our currently under resourced education and healthcare systems.

Sounds good, as long as the web shops agree to allow anyone to open up webshops. Of course that won't happen as they don't want that, even though that is discrimination against every single Bahamian who is not already a web shop owner.

Good for you Dawes! A well put excellent point on the discrimination inherent in the very corrupt process by which the 'select few' were granted essentially 'fake' licenses purporting to 'legalize' the racketeering money laundering and other illegal activities of their criminal empires against the wishes of the vast majority of Bahamians.

I wonder if these locations that were already underperforming is an indication that they have sucked this country dry?
Now, the government steps in, realizes they need more money and wants to suck even more money out of the economy.
I am thinking we are in for a very difficult time here in The Bahamas. Much worse than we've already had it.
Between the unthinking lazy FNM and the predatory web shop owners with their tentacles into our entire economy, I don't think the working person has a future here.

Why such uproar? Numbers has been outside of hte VAT world so its about time they pay up some taxes. i know i've sure paid enough into hte treasury in my lifetime. I'm still fairly sure i don't get value for money.

While I do not approve of web shops ...and voted no in the Referendum.....they have been licenced to operate as legal businesses.
Call dem the worsest names...worsest everytinbg...talk dead bad......Fact is... they are legally businesses licensed by the previous Christie govt and current government.
Noone......no administration.... should first licence any business to lawfully operate in this sovereign Bahamas nation.....and then place any onerous ...demanding....straining....set of conditions...or whatever....to ...then ..put dem out of business.
Myself and the majority done voted no...so close dem...dont drag us back into this methodology of licensong dem and doing dem in...just enact the laws to close dem.