cut the ten thousand allocated for the spouse to buy tea.

As reported by the nassau guardian on March 21, 2018:

> Asked about the budget for the office,
> Minnis said, “They asked me about a
> budget, and I probably said around
> $10,000 for the year, and I see that
> specifically, like I [said], for just
> the slight entertainment as teas;
> maybe some stationery. Yes, I think
> around $10,000.”

Don't forget, that amount doubled a couple of weeks later.

No more VAT! VAT is on almost everything as it is. Even things the man in the street does not see. Just leave it on bread basket items and cut more duties. It will even out and should be explained to The People.

these two ^^^ white and priviledge eh? maybe i am too?

Right you are on all points. Hope one of these days we will be able to tell IMF and Co. how far to jump!

Only way we can do that is if we pay off our debt, which is more then the IMF is asking. As we currently owe billions we are the ones who are being told how far to jump.

Understood Dawes!!!

Oh yeah! The IMF loves when poor countries borrow more. Economic Hitmen!!!

Poor people love to breed. Seems to give them some sort of meaning. Just look at Africa AND DO THE OPPOSITE!

THE I.M.F. PILL MUST BE SWALLOWED ......... THANKS TO 50 YEARS OF POOR GOVERNANCE AND FISCAL IRRESPONSIBILITY.

> "The Bill also sets out a “long-term” target of reducing the Government’s **direct** debt-to-GDP ratio from the current 58 per cent to “no more than 50 per cent."

Our real target should be getting our **total** debt-to-GDP ratio from the current 90%-100% down to no more than 70%. Our **total**, as opposed to **direct**, debt-to-GDP ratio includes things like unfunded pension liabilities and government guaranteed indebtedness of all government controlled entities.

Hopefully it will NOT be as I experienced in 2011 at retirement age when the Government of PAPA INGRAHAM took away my pension benefits, despite being enrolled since 1974 and contributing to the NIB pension fund, due to the major corruption and mismanagement of the NIB funds.
NIB pension funds should not be used to bail out corrupt and mismanaged government departments and agencies..
Bahamians should consider contributions to the NIB fund as additional taxes and establish and manage their own retirement/pension funds.

Correct!!! NIB is anything BUT a retirement plan!

Does anyone actually know the base rate of and criteria for pensions to civil servants and MP's, PM's, Senators, etc? What about all of these Board members? Is the Governor General still receiving her deceased husband's pension in addition to the stipend she receives as Governor General?

Careful, Ma Comrade DDK, not only has the GG out performed that of the entire Imperial red shirts cabinet- Her Excellency might just has be only one left standing on hill if the need arises royally step-in and looks down save the people from their own government.

Oh Jesus! If she/it is or may be our last and only hope then I ga start eating myself now.

Me thinks you have a slight obsession with "The Lady"' on the hill LOL!

BOL ......... The Pindlings will suck off the Treasury to the last red cent

Ma Comrade, why is it Four red shirts governing administrations have been unable trace down the so-called millions the Pindlings have for years been accused hiding? Even the Swiss would've been exposed over this into their 17th year red shirts governing period.... strange only money thing found was unpaid light bill for couple hundred dollars... but it's not just the Pindlings.... even the recently deceased Ronnie Butler got no respect shown dead, from this Imperial red shirts cabinet.

We just waiting for that recently sick guy to find Jesus and tell us. All fingers point to him.

Our government's response to the IMF... "Yes boss!"

Ma Comrades, I recall the same red shirts kept demanding PLP government tell the people what they did with the VAT money - is now refusing answer the exact same question which is, since 10th May 2017, where in hell did that all the hundred millions VAT money go under the red shirts? Also, detail where the monies collect in taxes and fees from numbers houses have been spent?

With you on that one! They DID say something about transparency, did they not?

Yeah, Ma Comrade, i think they promised providing the people public with the "unvarnished truth".... instead, Imperial red cabinet ministers are today this Tuesday May morning going head to head with other defining what it means breaks the law? {Couldn't make this up }. Not way advance elevation high bench Chief Justice under such confusion simple common sense colonial law... stop misleading people public and parliament over short givings OBAN.

When we strike Oil in the Back of Adros our dept problems will all be solved ....then we could let the PLP back in power to so they could continue to party like drunkin sailors.

Past governments have used the civil service as a jobs program to party faithful and their friends.

Just like Greece, the party is over.

The Civil Service is a large bureaucratic body which, by its 1950's performance is drowning our country in debt. there are many who do nothing and those are the ones that need to go.

It's a scary looking building, isn't it?

START SELLING OFF THOSE CONTINUOUSLY MONEY LOSING GOVT AGENCIES......SUCKING UP ALL SUBVENTIONS, GOVT ASSISTANCE....AND STOP THE TALK ON MORE VAT TAXING ON THE MAJOROTY OF THE POPULATION ....THE PORE....UNEMPLOYED.....CUPBOARDS BARE.HISTORIC 35-4 cries out for help, justice, fairplay, less pain.....not more taxes!!!

It is Organizations like the IMF, The WTO, The World Bank that tell you to jump off the bridge, watch you jump and then tell you what is the only way to stop drowning (in debt) and how to get rescued. There are things the government can do, without making more drastic cuts to the civil services and sending more shockwaves through the economy. Fewer persons working means less economic activity and less government revenue. Government firings reduce consumer confidence and hence consumer spending and so business must then cut back. So the government must look at growing revenue. The tourist product needs polishing and needs more aggressive marketing. The food import bill can be cut dramatically by expanding Bamsi and helping private farmers get their produce to market and sold. This can be done by opening markets where food assistance recipients from Social Services are required to get a portion of their assistance if local produce and fish. And despite all the chatter, nothing yet has been done to reduce the enormous fuel import bill for BPL. There needs to be at least one energy efficient generator operating by years end and the implementation of renewable energy and solar power. And too much of the workforce is idle. Workers generate revenue. Unemployed people require government assistance.

That is because the slack inefficient Civil Servants aren't doing their job. The private sector has to do the collection of tax and still pay for an incompetent civil service.
Time to reduce the civil service by at least 10%

...yep VAT is extremely efficient....majority of the citizens who it catches are the pore whose portion of small paycheck if any is greater than those wealthier citizens who is affected lesser degree as was the initiial arguement when implemented, but then we have more wealthier legislators than pore ones to stamd up
.....what also wss a winfall was the busonesses who appears to have increases prices first to cover the administration costs and then added the 7.5% and then rounded figures to eliminate as much coins and ajusted. What we needed was the prpgressive income tax but many businesspersons would cheat not paying themselces full salary but taking it out in dividends not trapped by NIB.

The Video shows that countries around the world are experiencing the same poblems . The immigration issues can certainly be applied to the Bahamas

What invasion? You mean putting foreigners behind the backburner who works to develop your country? There is NO invasion of the sorts, but rather an invasion in the later future by ISIS and Drug Cartel groups who see this place as a paradise for chaos.

Get that oil rig drilling.... last roll of the dice for us.

The introduction of VAT may have saved the government (temporarily) but it stagnated the economy and killed many businesses. VAT was never intended to be collected along with customs duties. It was an alternative form of taxation and customs duties were supposed to be eliminated. And remember that government is now collecting taxes on services and this added to government’s revenue but also drove up the cost of living. And while government calculates the VAT on the total landed cost of goods (cost plus freight plus insurance plus other costs PLUS CUSTOMS DUTIES). The VAT collected in the first instance is much more than 7.5 %. But businesses were told they only need add 7.5% to their price after they add profit to calculate VAT they must now give to the government after deducting the VAT paid at the port, any businesses ended up short changing themselves i, especially if they were calculating their prices based on first costs. And also be reminded that government increased minimum wage by 40% at basically the same time The VAT was introduced. This also resulted in a corresponding i40% increase in National Insurance contributions for many workers and many businesses still cannot figure out why they cannot turn a profit since both the VAT was introduced and minimum wage was increased. These increases takes a ledge chunk of cash out of circulation every time businesses pay their VAT returns and NIB. And if businesses tried to increase prices to compensate for these costs increases their sales would have plunged. So many operated ‘in the negative ‘ and the result is what you are now seeing on Wulff Road, on Mackey Street on parts of East Street and Carmichael Road and even now in Marathon Mall . Since their cash flow is negative, it will eventually dry up and businesses will have to borrow more cash for working capital or close down. And then there are ever increasing costs to businesses by banks. Some banks have effectively raised their lending rate to over 12% by requiring cash collateral on overdrafts, on which they pay no interest and their add on monthly fees that must be added to their basic loan rate. Then some businesses have seen increases in their rent, utilities and general supplies and others had to hire accountants to keep their book in order for the Department of Internal Revenue (IRS) and so it will always be impossible for them to make a profit under current conditions. AND if THE Government does not make the necessary adjustments and get the economy moving, the NATIONAL DEBT can surpass $11 BILLION before the current government’s five year term in office ends.i

Right you are John, you just neglected to mention the gross negative effect on the economy of the numbers slime houses.