The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Exactly who do the PLP think it is serving by yet again “ruling out” personal income tax becomes less clear by the day.

The party must by now realise that its FNM counterpart naturally represents those with an interest in keeping the tax burden disproportionately on poorer Bahamians, while its own support base is hardest hit by it.

Yet replying to the International Monetary Fund’s latest proposal for a tax on the income of the top 10 percent of earners and a shift away from taxes on consumers (the poor), State Finance Minister Michael Halkitis pushed back on the basis that the move would “necessitate extensive consultation and consensus-building”.

The question that comes to mind is “Consultation and consensus-building with whom?” With the 10 percent that would be affected by the IMF’s proposal?

Or is Mr Halkitis seriously suggesting that the majority of underpaid, overtaxed Bahamians, who now pay among the most in the world for luxuries like fresh vegetables and groceries (thanks in part to our regressive tax structure) would be fuming to hear that their government is going to transfer some of their tax burden to the wealthy without first consulting with them?

Get serious! The government that introduces income tax in The Bahamas would be guaranteed re-election if it did nothing else for the remainder of its term.

The fact that the IMF, a body known for pushing regressive, anti-poor and ultimately harmful policies all around the world, would have to be urging us to introduce a more progressive tax structure (and being flatly refused) speaks volumes about how badly (and almost comically) generations of our post-independence politicians have let this country down.

ANDREW ALLEN

Nassau,

February 12, 2024.