By NATARIO McKENZIE
Tribune Business Reporter
nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net
Uncertainty continues to surround the appointment of the Value-Added Tax (VAT) Comptroller, amid concerns that the current arrangement may result in the incumbent having “conflicting” roles.
Gowon Bowe, the Coalition for Responsible Taxation chairman, said it was still unclear following last week’s meeting with the Government whether the Ministry of Finance’s financial secretary, John Rolle, was taking the post on a temporary or permanent basis.
And, either way, Mr Bowe said this was “not an ideal situation”, suggesting the two positions - financial secretary and VAT Comptroller - were “inherently at conflict with each other”.
He again urged the Government to “make very clear” who the VAT Comptroller would be, and if it was Mr Rolle, indicate whether his appointment to that post would be a permanent or temporary one.
“The question was asked who was the VAT Comptroller, and Simon Wilson, the deputy financial secretary, pointed at John,” Mr Bowe said. “You could take that for what it is, but I think that Minister Halkitis has said that John would act as VAT Comptroller.
“We do not see that as an ideal situation because John is financial secretary, and while those two posts are government or public service posts, they are inherently at conflict with one another because the financial secretary’s job is to maximise revenue to cover expenditure whereas the VAT Comptroller’s job should be to adjudicate the administration of VAT in the most appropropriate manner, meaning the judgments and rulings are not biased by either a desire to increase or to decrease revenue.”
Mr Bowe added: “I don’t know that there was a formal appointment, and I think the Government needs to make very clear to the general public who the VAT Comptroller is and, if it is Mr Rolle, make clear whether that is a permanent or temporary appointment. Is that an interim measure until the final person has been brought in?”
Mr Bowe said that while he was not questioning Mr Rolle’s competence, his current role and that of VAT Comptroller would conflict at some point.
“The VAT Comptroller has tremendous responsibilities, and while I have no objection to Mr Rolle’s competency it is going to inherently conflict with the role of the financial secretary at some point in time,” he explained.
“The Prime Minister teases about wearing the hat of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance, and I don’t want to encourage Mr Rolle to have to say he is wearing the hat of the VAT Comptroller or the Financial Secretary because that is going to be the worse possible outcome for the business community.”
Comments
ThisIsOurs 9 years, 3 months ago
John Rolle needs to move to the private sector before these incompetents wreck his good name. The man is brilliant.
The_Oracle 9 years, 3 months ago
Whether he is brilliant or not is not the question, all he has been able to do is go back and forth between the public and the IMF with private sector concerns while serving the Bahamian political master. I am led to believe he spent quite some time attached to the IMF in the U.S. so he is no doubt well indoctrinated with their tax collection and Bahamian transparency desires, so he should be theoretically competent. In practice he does not inspire confidence, mis-speaking quite often. No personal affront intended. He has been tasked with the most radical and risky experiment since the expulsion of the pirates. Or should I say, their adoption of suits and briefcases?
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