I am white conchy joe and despite further comments on your quite racist remarks I constantly complain at how the service at BTC is no better and even worse now that it has been privatized and many of my conchy joe family and friends say the same thing. So stop attacking the few conchy joes left in the Bahamas and take your complaints to BTC and the non conchy joe government that sold BTC in the first place. Thanks!

I want someone to explain to me how a underdeveloped country like the Bahamas is going to develope from joining WTO and if we are # 3 GDP after the US and Canada right now why we are so hell bent on joining it? WTO will be the downfall of this country. Nothing works for us with the WTO and it has no benefits. From our tax structure, to us being a small develping island nation. I wish they would hold a referendum on this!

If he wants to live in a theocracy he should more to Iran

"Merchants come, they get you excited, but when the time comes to buy they give you the run around"
"It is a challenge for you to market, because sometimes you try to contact some of the wholesalers and, when you get them, they tell you that they will get back to you and they never do"

These two issues are the biggest problems with farming in the Bahamas. Even when the quality is there and the price is reasonable the big wholesalers in Nassau do not want to play ball. The general public is very supportive of local producers but not the wholesale and retail outlets.

Maybe we should remove the protectionist stipulation that only Bahamians can operate retail and wholesale outlets in the Bahamas and let walmart in and see how they like competing with that.

Wow this would make us the laughing stock of the world if it is true. How does someone steel a priceless Throne? Only in the Bahamas!

I totally agree with this. The undergound economy that doesnt pay their fair share is immense. At least if they are selling some type of good it has a good chance of paying the duties to get it off the dock much better than the chance the person is going to pay VAT especially if they do not even have a business license to be selling something in the first place. Lol imagine those fisherman down on potters cay paying VAT on their fish they wouldnt even know how to calculate it.

I feel sorry for you guys living in Nassau. Those new port fees are going to kil you guys. People and shipping companies are just finding out how bad they are.

Our government really needs to sit down and put their thinking caps on. For instance most people in this country make what $250.00-$300.00 a week roughly. Right now the government is taxing BEC fuel hence electricity 3-4 times. Custom duties on the fuel when it lands in the Bahamas, sales tax when it is sold to BEC, and business license at least once when it is sold to a business maybe 4 times I don't know of BEC pays business license. Now anyone making 250-300 bucks is spending all of their income every week. If taxes were eliminated from electricity cost saving someone like $25 a week (pure speculation dont know the actuall $$ amount)that person making only 250-300 is still going to spend all of their income on others items which are probably taxed by duties or if its a local product generate demand hence jobs who salaries can then buy dutiable items. So the government would still get their tax from duty and business license but it would drive consumption and more business activity and make people happier hence more investor confidence.

They cant even collect national insurance or business license from allot of businesses how are they going to get the VAT out of them? Same thing with property tax people just don't pay it and they continue. Only the few honest business people will pay up further hurting their business. Most will crook and scam their way out. Customs duties can be avoided as well but it is much much harder. If they get rid of customs duties our govt will be broke in no time!

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