I would be interested in seeing the breakdown of that $100M by consumer type. Place them in three buckets (government / commercial / residential). Outstanding receivables are $100M, but the suggested approach for collection seems skewed toward residential consumers. Do residential consumers make up the bulk of the arrears? Is there a different tactic to collect from commercial consumers?

This is true about VAT. However, (in my personal opinion from dealing with the process) VAT is not being collected properly from stakeholders. The amount that the government receives probably represents 60% of what is truly due. A major factor for this is the slack practices regarding collection and inspection. If this is cleaned up, along with the reduction, then they can see better returns.

LOL. This is always an entertaining part of the process. Chill everyone. Remember, these numbers are self-declared and not verified when reported.

Unpopular opinion --> secular Bahamian artists are not entitled to be selected by the government for independence celebrations. Yes, it would be nice, but let's be clear, the government doesn't owe these artists that. We're not talking about constitutional rights here. In this case, I think this is a 'Read The Room' type situation. After the year we have had with COVID-19 and being on the brink of financial ruin; I would be a little salty if I see the government using money to have a grand vivacious celebration as if the sky isn't close to falling. Just my opinion.

When faced with difficult circumstances...focus on the things that CAN be controlled. I love Waterloo, but truth be told, the customer service I personally received while supporting them during the COVID era has not been up to standard (drinks take forever to reach and food may or may not come at all; encountered this on more than one visit). And that had absolutely nothing to do with the new protocols. Every business has to find a way to ADJUST to the new norms. The ones that are thriving now figured out how to make things work (and provide good service too).

lol. you ...Sir... are hilarious and a gem of an icon in The Bahamas. First of all, I thought you retired. But secondly...you probably still have some influence in the way the prices at your store are going. Since we're six months away from this so-called expected price increase...instead of warning us of how it may be passed on...can your team assist with figuring out ways to ensure consumers aren't impacted (i.e., find ways to cut costs efficiently to counter the expected product price rises)?

#He said while the union was engaged during the search process, executives are unhappy about the appointment.

#Mr Thompson said: “We were a part of the search process. . . while we commend the university for engaging (in) a transparent process,

Ok, respectfully...are you trying to have your cake and eat it too? If you were involved in the process and championing the university's transparency, then you know exactly how the professor got to be there...no?

Yeah, this definitely seems like another step towards corporate income taxes. The extension is definitely welcomed. Once you have access to the portal, the submission of information is really not that complicated (takes less than 10 minutes). The issue is that communication on new filing requirements could have been significantly better. There was all this fanfare about penny gone, budget updates, COVID-19 changes related to MOF, etc...but Substance Reporting didn't get sufficient publicity. Considering how many businesses the rules directly impacted MOF should take some responsibility for ensuring stakeholders were well informed. The extension is welcomed!

Yup. I agree that needs to happen as well.

Honestly, I don't see why this needed any additional pomp & pageantry. Any Bahamian that has ever won winnings while vacationing in Las Vegas is taxed. The tax on winnings is standard in many jurisdictions (for locals AND foreign visitors). Just implement it and keep it moving. This should have been a standard application from the onset.