**"Surely, there is little doubt that the Minnis administration has pulled the pin on not only an economic hand grenade, but a political one as well."**
Surely it is better to pull a pin on an economic or political hand grenade now than to let the Bahamas explode in a economic time bomb a few years down the road. Something Barbados is facing today. ....The PM is quoted as saying "country first" ...When will this PLP apologist writer get it. The Gov is trying to save this country for future generations, something the all for me baby crowd cannot comprehend. Just sitting back writing foolishness and waiting like vultures.to get back at the cookie jar.

This is a Band Aid solution used after every murder spree. Create a Boot camp in Andros and make it mandatory for every male Bahamian child to serve three years minimum when they leave high school regardless of what part of society they come from. Include boys for the rich areas and the inner city areas. Pay them a stipen and teach them all the Discipline and values they need to develope to function in society and move the Fox Hill prision and teach the inmates the same. There are enough retired Defence force and police force officers who would gladly give their time for such a plan. .This plan that some would call national service and is the one plan Sir L.O Pindling regreted not doing as he was quoted in one of his final interviews

This culture you stated will only change if the political will to do makes it happen. Successive governments have perpetuated this and allowed it to mushroom out of control for votes.. I say change the retirement age to 60 and force those over 60 to go home and make way for the vibrant young people. This government is the best chance we have as a country to make the necessary changes. .

Government needs to get rid of the people who are "resistant to change" and higher more mellinnials and tech savy young individuals who who can do the work of ten adults in each ministry if given the right tools. Invest in software platforms and increase the digital penertration rate in each department which can cut the entire civil service by fifteen percent and if this process was started 10 years ago there would be no need for a VAT increase today.

Tougher Immigration policies being implemented by the Trump administration is making it that much harder for Bahamians to qualify for migration to the United States. Legal migration applicants must show cause which may include political persecution. Economics reasons such as a bad domestic economy is not looked favourably upon from applicants. The brain drain is endemic for all countries and will increase because of the standard of living, salaries, ability to qualify for some citizens. However the vast majority of our citizens will have to suck up this Vat increase, try to discipline themselves like they have never done before and live by better principles and higher standards to make it in the coming years. We have to work along with this Government for a better Bahamas no matter how pain full it may seams,,.Demonstrations is a expression of freedom of speech which is a constitutional right given to every citizen but after leaving bay street we should ask our selves ...Is what this government doing going to benefit the country long term and be a saving grace for future generations. The answer is unquestionably yes. .

All BPL employees accepting the VSEP's should use their funds wisely and invest in financial products with long term yields eg: Stocks, Bonds ,Mutual funds and CD's ...Seek financial advise form reputable firms. Resist the urge to splurge of shopping trips to florida, gambling, and beware of friends who appear suddenly out of no where,because "a fool and his money are soon parted" Proverbs 21-20 .

With the wide spread use of Fracking technology in the united states and the US now being the largest largest exporter at 15.3% of the world oil supply. There is no need for the Bahamas to go this route.Get rid of BPL and and her British share holders and court green technology companies to the Bahamas

@Crawfish .....This dredging activity by the Dillingham corporation took place on Ocean cay in the 70's and 80's ....I witness this activity first hand. There were large cranes doing the dredging with mountains of aragonite loaded by conveyor belts to large barges that then left for the united states. The scene is similar to what is taking place in Inagua with the Morton salt company. .The rights to mine aragonite at ocean cay was later sold to another company. there is no aragonite mining activity going on Ocean cay presently.

Agreed .....but your name must be a fake ...what a recommendation from a Pastor.

Along with the 12% Vat rate will be a National Insurance contribution Increase recommended by the ILO and acturial studies. This government is following every advice given by the international agencies.