its more interesting for a government to come up with new initiatives. Unfortunately the Bahamas political system gives an advantage to the populist politician, that talks, shows his face on TV etc. So bringing a new tax/Government initiative is more sexy than just enforcing the existing taxes. The VAT will be a mess beyond. We cant even stop the corruption at Customs or the DMV, how should we prevent stealing and corruption and mismanagement with VAT?

well it may be beneficial to declare all of New Providence a prison, at least then we would have resolved the bail issue once and for all.

they want to steal no rob - however they rob, if they need, and apparently kill for a few bucks of thiefery - so they don't care whether you are there or not. These guys come in da house anyway to take your gold to bring to cashforgold and then to bring 50% the cash to number boyz, which in turn share their profit with Obi wan Kanobi & PGC, and the other 50% go to customs and police, so they can import stolen cares and Uzis from the U.S. without getting caught. If they get caught, they also have to pay off the AG and the Judges from the profit of the importing business, so they get bail or are not prosecuted for a gazillion years, to continue their game, and since the conduct a local business they should get a business license for that plus register for VAT, as am sure these guys make mo' than 100k a year. In their spare time they produce boys and girls that they leave behind with their mothers, to ensure that the future of this business still gets enough uneducated and dysfunctional kids to fill its ranks. Last but not least if they get shot by a rival gang, Mommy speaks to the press and TV and says "He was such a good boy". Only in the Bahamas, only in the Bahamas.

I don't see the success, when you give away the candy shop and are getting paid in candy. I wonder whether the Bahamas gets automated exchange of information on accounts held by Bahamians in the U.S, the U.K., Switzerland or Panama. We also have to stop to believe that to have all these treaties in place is an asset. Its not, it is maybe a liability even. The treaties are only meant for execution. People will not bring money to the Bahamas because of automated exchange of information (well quite the opposite), they would bring money to the Bahamas to manage, if we had (I) good asset management, (ii) a secure and reliable judicial system, (iii) good products, and (iv) a solid economic environment. So these are the tasks that the Government needs to work on, everything else is just blowing smoke.

This is the link, seems 100% of the organisers are NON-Bahamian, wonder whether they need a work permit when they come to the Bahamas, like the male strippers that PGC arrested back in the days. [link text][1]

[1]: http://www.bahamasbowl.com/the-game/mee…

yep maybe the numbers boys are picking up the tab.

corrupt to the bone.

we should give a license to the Chinese.

are we surprised? the deadlines were too tight. now the following may happen: business miss the deadline (time, system down etc.), get fined, will fight the fines in court etc. This ship has been sinking a long time ago.

Excuse me Dr. Nottage, wtf please is a 'routine "spurt" in criminal activity'? Talking smart ain't solve the problem. There must be absolutely nothing "routine" when it comes to increased criminal activity. Screw the statistics - people don't feel safe in this country.