Today, BEC chairman Leslie Miller is the Man of the Hour, and VAT is the vehicle that is going to send all of us — country included — to our economic graves.
These are the two most hotly debated subjects in town today. The high cost of electricity, which is not only squeezing the Bahamian taxpayer, but is pricing this country out of the tourist market, and VAT, which is going to hit the consumer where it hurts most — his pocket. VAT is causing the cautious business person to shelve planned investments as he waits to see what the future holds.
For a government that came to power on the promise of producing 10,000 jobs in the first year, all it has succeeded in doing is so frighten the business community that rigor mortis has paralysed the job market and increased unemployment.
VAT might be suitable for manufacturing countries, but the Bahamas is not a manufacturing country, nor can it produce enough accountants and inspectors to manage such a system. In other words, we do not have the necessary administrative practices to make VAT feasible.
“VAT: Is it suitable for the Caribbean Community?” was a study done sometime in 2006 to answer this pressing question.
But to turn to Mr Miller and his argument with Bahamas Electricity Corporation unionists in his fight to reduce the cost of electricity to the Bahamian public. “I never had any time for Leslie Miller before, but, by jove, regardless of my politics, I have plenty time for him now!” remarked an exasperated business person last week.
This seems to be the general consensus as public anger grows against what are now being called “double-dipping” unionists.
