Since coming to office, this Christie
led administration has managed to abandon or renege on most, if not all of its
2012 general election campaign promises. After promising on the one hand to
believe in Bahamians, this government has done the exact opposite; relegating
our people and our culture to the political back burner. After promising to
improve the quality of life for all Bahamians through economic stimulation,
this government has again failed at key components of that economic strategy
including job creation.
It is a universally accepted idea that
the most effective way to spur real economic change is to stimulate small business
and innovation by lowering taxes. The government’s inability to provide true
economic empowerment for the people of this country is compounded by an
apparent desire to tax the nation’s middle class into poverty and obliterate
any real chance for economic expansion.
In its Charter for Governance the PLP,
then in opposition, promised that if elected they would decrease the overall
tax burden. In June of 2012 State Finance Minister Michael Halkitis repeated
that promise assuring Bahamians that the government would impose no additional
taxes. The implementation of Value Added Tax (VAT) on January 2015 however,
proved that those promises were nothing more than hollow, empty words.
Even now as the citizenry of this
country grapples with cost of living increases associated with (VAT) this
government is plotting to further increase the tax burden on already struggling
Bahamian families; this time as part of efforts to fund National Health
Insurance (NHI). Reports have suggested
that the new tax could be implemented in nine months.
Discussions surrounding the
implementation of NHI raises a number of important questions. For example, who
if anyone will be responsible for overseeing the initiative to ensure that
fraudulent claims or general malfeasance does not occur. So far, the
government’s track record for warding off corruption has been dismal. We have
seen when it comes to money, the PLP has a problem. Even as they plan the
transformation of public healthcare, Bahamians are still in the dark about the
missing millions at the pharmacy at PMH; this despite countless investigations
and reports detailing the corruption. Another key question to be answered is
what role, if any, will private healthcare insurance providers have in the
implementation of this new initiative and what effect will it have on that
industry. Perhaps the most important question to be asked though, is HOW the
government will fund NHI? If additional taxes are to be introduced, who will be
responsible for ensuring that the collected tax are in fact used for the
intended purpose?
So far, no one, not even the Minister
responsible has been able to provide satisfactory answers to these very
important questions. Instead Dr. Gomez’s taxes are better than death position
has left a sour taste in the mouths of many within the electorate.
The Democratic National Alliance has no
confidence in this government’s ability to implement such a plan in a way that
is efficient, transparent or cost effective. One need only look at projects
like the multimillion dollar BAMSI initiative which has seen millions of
dollars in taxpayer funds go up in smoke literally and figuratively. This Christie government has yet to prove
itself able to properly manage government resources, and in time when resources
have become even scarcer, this is
UNACCEPTABLE!
The DNA has long called for tax reform
in addition to increased transparency and accountability in the spending of
public funds. Instead, PM Perry Christie and his cabinet continue to ignore
this very pressing issue and have put forth no actual efforts to overhaul the
current tax structure and have imposed even MORE taxes without also providing
the benefits of a Freedom of Information Act as was recommended by the
government’s own tax consultants.
Rather than increasing the country’s tax
burden for a second time during this term in office, the Christie
administration must work to fulfill its promise of economic empowerment through
new industry and more focused job creation efforts.
What this country needs is a model of
progressive taxation as opposed to the coercive and burdensome model we
currently endure. No longer should the tax paying citizens be forced to
shoulder the burden of poor fiscal management on the part of this or any
government. The country’s economy can no longer support this type of governance.
NOW IS NOT THE TIME to raise taxes.
We, the people simply cannot afford it.
Branville
McCartney
DNA Leader
