the word 'determination' was repeated NINE times in this article, yet no determination was made.

this does not win votes.
sadly no one talks about children born of bahamian women to foreign parents, either in the bahamas or outside.

carnival is a stupid idea, just to give a few thousand dollars to a select few.

not only that, you will pay vat on the environmental levy, duty, customs 1% entry fee too.

and your receipt will spell out vat, wonder how they will get around duty free shops

you must be sore from all the beating aroud the bush'

Question for my tribune friends:

I copied the quote below from the govt website. Here are my questions:

1)A local bank charges $10.00 to send $200.00 to Jamaica.
Does one pay VAT on the ten dollars only or on the $200.00+10.

2) If one buys 1,500.00 from a local bank to travel, do I pay vat on the 1,500, or just on the bank fees?

> (6) For the avoidance of doubt,
> domestic financial services which are
> not exempt form a charge of VAT where
> a bank or financial services provider
> charges an explicit fee include — (a)
> the transmission of money or monetary
> value in any form; (b) the issuance,
> sale or redemption of money orders or
> traveller’s cheques; (c ) cheque
> cashing; (d) currency exchange
> issuance, sale or redemption of money
> orders or traveller’s cheques; and (e)
> currency exchange and pay day
> advances. (7) Where stamp tax is
> payable on a financial transaction,
> the value of the transaction subject
> to VAT is limited to the sum of the
> explicit fees charged on such
> transaction.

wait a minute, i order regularly from amazon.
the courier charges me duty, entry fee if applicable, haz mat if applicable and shipping charges, why can't he just charge me vat?

how are they going to charge me vat for software downloads? is the bank just going to add anytime there is a charge from the software company.

> “That duty reduction should be
> reflected in the price of the good
> plus VAT,” Mr Christie told Tribune
> Business. “I would almost call that
> fraud, if they’re received a duty
> reduction and it’s not reflected in
> the price. They’re charging the
> consumer as if they’re still paying
> the same duty rate.”

and why is that fraud?
there was a min of finance radio ad not long ago that said businesses which are not vat registrants can mark up their prices as much as they want.

in businesses where there is a lot of competition, and where their pricing is computerized, the inflationary impact will be lessened, lie food stores and major hardware stores.

But, not otherwise,

Dear Dr.
you and dionisio should take a vacation.
you have no credibility as an armchair economist, and even suggested not too long go that the bahamas should "print money' to eliminate debt. an infantile proposal which show you did not learn 10th garde economics.

the tribune should print your diatribes in the letter to the editor section, as it is just an opinion, much like that of the man who predicted hurricanes using his pueeh tree.

Doctors hospital is shedding crocodile tears.
they are experts in padding up bills.

Since services are not taxed, yes, services will go up by 7.5% or more.

As to merchants, they can reduce their profit margins a bit. Remember, they now have to compete with amazon, so the increase will not be so dramatic.

Shortly before i turned 60, my health insurer told me i could remain with the same premium for 8-9 monhs after my birthday, so ok.

Within that period, i received a letter saying that given their circumstances they would need 100% increase, but they were so concerned with my health that they would raise it 'only 60%". I dropped health insurance altogether, it would have cost more than my national insurance pension.

i paid health insurance with no major claim for 30 years, but it is not an asu.