What YOU do not understand is that, in the Bahamas, no sale can go through to a foreign entity without a valid permit from the Bahamas Investment Authority. Of course, this is academic when dealing with sycophants like Minnis. But a government of any fortitude would decline a permit to Disney.

Correction: "Everyone STUPID agrees that the Chinese must go."

These dolts waive property taxes on the superwealthy (a laughable $50,000 cap on people who pay $500k and $600k property taxes back home), fail to collect millions of dollars of taxes on foreign owned properties throughout the country and dare not even whisper "income tax" (even 10 percent on those earning $100k and more) then turn around and claim to be broke - and stick it to the poor.

So I guess you have access to their bank accounts? Do you know than among "them" is Mark Holowesko?

The big question is: why was a bill generated in the first place at a "public" hospital? Unless of course you are an FNM supporter and believe that something paid for by public taxes is "free" unless charged again at the point of service.

Please change your moniker. Whatever you are, you are clearly NOT an economist. This false narrative about being bitter medicine is patent nonsense. There is nothing medicinal about this idiotic budget. Every economist, from Sir William Allen to Gowon Bowe to James Smith has said that the essence of a functional VAT regime is that it is kept low with NO exemptions. This is because exemptions make it hard to administer (fraud) and make no sense, because, by focusing on a set of products rather than the people you are seeking to help, they are really not targeted at all. So the poor still suffer from the generalized increase that affects everything around them. This is basic economics 101. Nobody who has studied VAT implementation would disagree.

This government has done the foolish and paradoxical act of raising the level by 60% and adding exemptions. In doing so, they did not present one iota of empirical data either to show that the shock 60% increase will not damage the economy, resulting in lower yields than, say a 10 percent rate without exemptions.

If you want to help the poor, you target them with either direct subsidies or subventions, NOT exemptions that destroy the administration of VAT. The budget is pure idiocy. If you disagree, please cite one serious economic thinker in the land who supports you.

That was a reply to OMG

Every item of your comment is erroneous or slanted at least. It demonstrates how politics can blind a person to fact.

1) The FNM administration of which my father was Finance Minister first proposed VAT. And rightly so. It was the best means of getting our revenues to GDP ration from an unsustainably low 17% nearer to the 25% norm.
2) The PLP introduced it, at first in a rushed and arguably arrogant manner. Then, faced with push back, they widely consulted, considered alternatives raised by the private sector and then settled on the template most widely accepted by economists as the best: a low rate of VAT with no exemptions. Exemptions make no sense because they are not targeted and create huge problems for administration (fraud).
3. Minnis in one fell swoop (and with zero consultation and offering zero empirical data to support it) created a bunch of exemptions and, paradoxically, raised the tax 67%, creating the risk that, by shocking the economy and stunting spending, it will actually lead to reduced revenues.
4. The deep and persistent ignorance of Dr. Minnis has led him to confused fiscal and monetary policy, suggesting that there is some risk of devaluation that justifies this asinine budget. In doing so he has (to paraphrase Gowon Bowe) created ignorance and panic - exemplified by your own repeating it. The Central Bank maintains reserves which defend our dollar parity. These reserves are so healthy that they are near or at historic highs ($1.6 billion). So much so that the CB twice recently liberalised exchange controls. The oaf Minnis made the announcement, but obviously did not know what it means, based on his ignorant statements about devaluation. Devaluation is in fact, not considered a policy option for the Bahamas, as we are NOT an exporter of goods and it would only make our main 'export' tourism less competitive as it relies upon imports.

Birdie is mostly right, I am afraid. This is not about PLP vs FNM. It is about the worst, most corrupt (read Today's Tribune about Dr. Sands' actions revealed in a court of law) government in our independent history. Those few souls that have not realized that yet will certainly do so in the ensuing years, sad to say.

Those who expected better from this crew have only themselves to blame for having ignored all of the obvious signs of their mendacity (1. Stating that the Baha Mar deal was a Chinese giveaway when Ingraham, then Sarkis brought the Chinese into our economy;2. claiming they would 'sell Baha Mar when in office; 3. Pretending that we are a presidential republic and that 'term limits' on a PM and 'recall' of MPs are anything other than asinine buffoonery; 4. Hiding their leader from the media in the run up to the election, while claiming to represent 'transparency'; 5. claiming the much needed 'spy bill' was such a huge intrusion into our privacy while they did not even whisper about the US' interception of 100% of Bahamian mobile phone calls.)

How can anyone be surprised that they have now 1. confirmed Baha Mar is a good deal and should NOT be renegotiated; 2. NOT sold Baha Mar; 3. NOT attempted dumb and extremely harmful amendments to our constitution; 4. Continued to hide their leader, this time behind a hapless and confusing Press Secretary, whose job seems to be to avoid enlightenment; 5. Undertaken to reintroduce the 'spy bill'.

Man, Bahamians are so easily swung!

FYI, Mozambique is at 42 percent and Myanmar ("Burma") at 80%. The Bahamas was at 97% before this upgrade.