Not to mention that they have ben repatriating profits to their Mother countries for decades while they nail us to the cross with full government complicity.
You are absolutely correct though, It is our own Damn fault, all of it.
We sit back behind our bars, locks and cameras, grumble in our complacency,
anticipate the T-shirt of the idiots we choose to control, pillage and squander
our children's future.
The fog of our illusion of sovereignty is dissipating, leaving only the hardship and shame of our folly.
And we do indeed own it.

This is all preamble for the terms of the EU-EPA agreement we have signed onto,
For the free movement of goods AND Services.
They will come here with rights Equal to the rights of Bahamians and the Government will not be able to extort hefty investment requirements or Work permit fees.
Non discriminatory clauses including taxes and market access.
Think about that.
No discrimination geographically or by nationality of signatory nations.
Same with the carib-can trade agreement, which is lumbering ahead more slowly.

Careful Eric, you are sounding like more like a typical Government xenophobic hack than an ambassador for the part of the environment that the National trust is Guardian of.
No matter the barrel you look in, Government, Trust, Private sector, Church,
There are bad apples.
Seems to me the Trust has "co-opted" the Government methods of Revenue collection, by force, with ever expanding power, greed and need.
Remember this:
Those who nickel and dime a situation to death,
end up with nickels and dimes.

Typical ignorant Bahamian behavior, accuse, fly off the handle, then learn what is really happening.
The vast majority have no clue what is about to hit them,
yet the Government will be pleased to demonize Private enterprise,
and stand guilty as hell quietly in the dark corner when it is all their doing.
We, the public are about to pay dearly for 50 years of the lies, theft, mismanagement, waste and borrowing of our elected officials and the Civil service.
Not that the Ministry of finance itself yet knows the details of what they will impose on Jan 1st,
and the private sector is left to figure out how to comply with the unknown.
You couldn't have planned this impending fiasco any better if you had tried!

Bigger than that issue is the shift from CIF + duty value and system costing to
Invoice + duty.
Quite a few place may not re-open in January as a matter of self preservation,
as the danger of the VAT M'coute coming through the door without any intelligence is a real threat.
I'd still like to see a list of Businesses the Government "insulted with" before these town hall meetings which have not clarified squat.
Show VAT exclusive on Bin labels, inclusive on receipts and tax field showing VAT total,
as the merchant is gonna have to educate consumer affairs dingbats too.

First mistake?
The assumption that you (we) matter or hold any significance in the political's mind over this or any other situation including your livelihood.
Second, assuming that they have a moral or ethical compass or care one wit what anyone thinks about whatever they're doing.
We have lost our country,
they just haven't shut the doors yet.
Maybe we can use the TIEA agreements to find the pillaged stashes they've all hidden in foreign lands.
Just like Pirates, bury the loot.

The potentially bigger story here is the willingness of Government and or civil service to target and destroy individuals who do not buy into the systemic corruption or tribal political party mentality.
If indeed all those documents were submitted along with an entry, no fraud could have been intended.
As it is, if the vehicle in question is a hybrid, the duty rate should be 25%, not the ludicrous 85%.
"When they came for me, there was no one left to defend me....."
Political persecution is the greatest threat to citizen and democratic principals,
and is the final undermining of the rule of law.
What then will be left to protect any of us?

Junkanoo is not what it used to be, however instead of a natural progression we have destroyed it politically, culturally, and one could fall asleep with the gaps in the music/beat.
It used to be continuous non stop, akin to being possessed for hours.
Add to the above the dangerous element, nasty rank smell,
It isn't something you could seriously present to tourists as Festive and happy.
So instead we will attempt to Create a "cultural event" from scratch.
Good luck with that.
More money train for the bleacher and fencing connections.

Can't even manage our own personal behavior in public,
how the hell can we run our own country?
Cabbies only mimicking the behavior in the house, as seen on Tv.

Perhaps we can sue the British, seems negligence could be proven,
pretty negligent to turn the territory over to the natives!
Can't manage money, the environment, civil servants, law and order,
crime, casino revenues, BEC, Water and Sewage, the public Hospital, public transport,
damn, is there anything we can manage?
We have even screwed up Junkanoo!