Cigarettes cannot bear any more tax increase. Liquor (with the exception of beer) can afford a slight tax increase.

In addition, there have been reports over the years that Bahamas made beer can be bought in Miami at a lower price than Nassau. I can understand that may be good to encourage exports and increase the inflow of foreign dollars - however - there exists in this country a 6% export tax (only God knows why since we use exports to bring in foreign reserves ) - but anyway - there is NEVER any reporting of what that 6% figure is in total for all beer exports annually. I suspect that these manufacturers do not pay that tax as an "incentive" to increase employment. The back and forth is so complex that nobody knows what is actually coming and going into the Treasury (and what never comes in at all due to exemptions).

Complexity in tax code breeds corruption and unfairness.

Probably not. The VAT could have been 7.5% and then after 2 years raised to 15%. However, the real problem in this Bahamas is the LACK of information. All we get to see are Budgets. The public never gets to the the Actual spending figures for the prior year stood in columns next to that last year's "budgeted" figures.

It's just one nice sounding promise after another - year after year - with no follow-up. No report on what actually happened. A few reports here and there (of course) - like we were going to spend 20 million on police but ended up having to spend 25 million. Okay, fine. But that is nothing. When you're looking at a 6 to 8 billion dollar budget, and all of that money gets spent and people don't know where it goes - and have no way of finding out where it goes - then those who spend it don't have any worries.

Perhaps the opposition Party here, just like the opposition Party in the USA - sees an opportunity to make the ruling Party "look bad" by crippling the economy ? Are they inviting the IMF - is this sort of an informal invitation letter?

We now know who the vulnerable persons are in society and they merely need to take extra precaution until the virus completes its mutation process toward survival. Viruses mutate all the time, and the ones who kill their hosts have a much less chance of transmission (because they die with the host). And so the Darwinian theory applies; those who die before they can reproduce - don't reproduce - and go extinct. The deadlier form of this virus are not immune from this law of nature.

"Duvalier gone !!! We Free !!!!! We Free !!!!!!!"

Very likely all kinds of FACTS will come out during trial and a brand new enterprise will be discovered and branded in the United States - I predict that someone will invent a name to apply to it - it might be called "Investigative Journalism".

It is said that hope springs eternal.

"For his part, BNT Executive Director Eric Carey said: “The re-emergence of the cane toad is a major concern for our vulnerable native wildlife. I believe that with immediate action, the elimination of invasive cane toads from our islands is possible and necessary to mitigate further threats before the unwelcomed species gets out of control.”

I must speak out against these remarks against particular toads. All toads should be treated equally - and to simply brand them as "invasive" without the benefit of legal jurisprudence is brash and perhaps even dangerous. I would not jump to conclusions, or lily pads here.

What evidence is there that they are dangerous, or that they might eventually outnumber or wipe out native species of toads or frogs? None, I assure you. We should appeal to an international watchdog over this.

Equality for Toads !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is all true. I recall an incident in Bimini some years ago when complaints were made at 3am about noise from a club there, and upon investigation it was discovered that it was actually coming from a beach club in Miami. The sound had traveled across the waters since it was a clear calm night with low humidity. One lonely oil tanker was found to be traversing the Gulfstream at that hour in the direct path of the sounds waves - but it was surmised that they had been able to simply "bend around" the tanker and continue with very little attenuation.

The power of Satan and his minions is tremendous. We must choose not to listen (even though we can hear), but instead read and obey the words of our savior Jesus Christ.

This sounds like something to do with equality and transparency. I predict it will crash and burn just like the several attempts to give women equal rights in this country. I don't know what would be the analogy in this case to "outside children", but I would bet there are too many skeletons in too many closets that the majority live by and so they will wish to keep the closet doors closed.

Sounds like government is trying to destroy one of the four pillars of our economy: Tourism, Banking, Fisheries, and Corruption. That will cause at least a 25% drop in GDP.

Very good points - but might just be a bit too much truth for many to absorb.