Yes, one could say Fred Stands out for being so outspoken on all manner of issues,
the real question is,
where are all the other lawyers who should also be addressing issues and unlawful government behaviour?
Challenging unlawful, unconstitutional legislation, horrible Government "interpretation" of the law, persecution?
Too busy manipulating the loopholes and making money to worry about real justice, too busy scamming foreign investors, facilitating personal meeting with the PM or other Ministers, for the right $$ of course.
Why is Fred the only one?
Because the majority do not understand the rule of law is their only protection!
We are now about to pay the price for our ignorance and blind faith, a price that will get dearer every day.

The real issue is the overriding of a board decision by the then Cabinet.
Any board can make recommendations, ownership can veto.
Who was the political operative on the board, placed by the Ruling Cabinet/PM?

Foodstores are buying commodity items and therefore purchasing based on a number of criteria,
Price, availability, grade, even payment terms,
Prices in the global marketplace are not static!
Factor in purchasing incompetence as well.

Stains upon stains,
Shame upon shame,
Looks like a mosaic!
This has been going on since the Queen relinquished the treasury!

Hear Hear, however the Government will not be able to shout "price gouging" as Mr. Gibson already has if pricing is exclusive.
Just like crying rape, once accused guilt is hard to shake even if proven innocent.
The dishonesty in this government has become endemic and all pervasive.

Whether he is brilliant or not is not the question,
all he has been able to do is go back and forth between the public and the IMF with private sector concerns while serving the Bahamian political master.
I am led to believe he spent quite some time attached to the IMF in the U.S.
so he is no doubt well indoctrinated with their tax collection and Bahamian transparency desires, so he should be theoretically competent.
In practice he does not inspire confidence, mis-speaking quite often.
No personal affront intended.
He has been tasked with the most radical and risky experiment since the expulsion of the pirates.
Or should I say, their adoption of suits and briefcases?

Ok, listen up folks:
VAT is to replace duty rates which must come down to wto acceptable levels
by 2025. This is the driving cause.
Ingraham already reduced the rates on many tariff headings in 2010 in order to comply,
however those headings that were reduced were on the things no one imports here!
This allowed compliance with WTO timeline requirements without hurting revenue.
Remember, we have until 2025 to reduce all duty rates.
Duty rates are deemed "barriers to trade"
not the case in the Bahamas as we produce nothing of note or quantity nor quality.
This external pressure has been mounting since 2003, with both political parties playing pass the parcel until Christie got the call:
TAX or devalue!
Ingraham must be laughing his asset off even though his administration was most active in negotiating all of this.
Wait 'til real property tax and income tax kicks in,
once VAT does not prove to increase revenue as planned/hoped.
The PLP are no more capable of instigating it than they are in implementing it!
Now, to retail prices.
Markup of every product business everywhere in the world covers the absolute total costs of the product or service and the business operational costs. Otherwise, bankrupt, finis, caput, closed.
Also, many of the items in the foods stores are exclusive to wholesale companies who then import, markup and sell to retailers.
Ever noticed the crews pricing goods do not work for the food store?
They work for the wholesalers, and both companies expect to make money, or they fail.
My question is, when the hell did the Government reduce the duty rates in advance of VAT?
Ingraham did in 2009, 2010, maybe 2011 and 12, but we did miss quite a few deadlines prior to 2014.
Government is expected to reduce some rates Jan 1st, but I doubt it will in any way be a significant offset to VAT, as they keep claiming increased revenue.
Something from nothing is still nothing!

Junkanoo used to be non stop music, with each groups beat competing with the group before and after.
Now one falls asleep watching lethargic costumed group members shuffling past with nothing but yelling marshals to listen to with mere minutes of music between.
Get Junkanoo back to what it once was by Limiting group size and requiring a 70% music component!
Then it would be worth a few million to sponsor.
Another sad indictment of our organizational skills.

Absolutely typical!
We go from one outage to the next,
one ludicrous situation after another.
Maybe we should revert to a ball and chain ?
These ankle Monitoring bracelets seem to be useless.
Or maybe it is those who are charged with monitoring them?

I wouldn't be holding out for significant duty rate reductions either,
do not forget their "increased revenue collection" position,
Forecasting hundreds of millions in extra revenue.
Meanwhile, the private sector will deal with Public ignorance and belligerence on the front lines,
while no one will see the Ministry of finance idiots hiding behind their closed doors!
Just like creating a "Carnival" culture from scratch,
after Junkanoo has been destroyed beyond recognition.