The Tribune

A meeting has been held to discuss the issue of VAT with members of the Bahamas Union of Teachers.

The event was held at the AF Adderley School Library - and aimed to tell teachers more about the tax.

A VAT specialist at the event said this was “an opportune time to introduce a more efficient means of collecting revenue” before more extreme measures are taken.

Pauline Peters, head of Grenada’s VAT implementation unit, told the meeting that VAT allows consumers to make choices about what to buy, choosing between exempt items like bread basket goods and non-exempt, an option that income tax does not offer.

She also reassured attendees that education services will be exempt from VAT and that the government is developing structures to assist lower income individuals.

More than 30 members of the public turned out and quizzed the Ministry of Finance’s VAT team on how the proposed tax system will affect them.

Concerns ranged from whether education would be VAT-able to how the government plans to support the disadvantaged sectors.

“The job of the Ministry of Finance is to share as much information with the public as possible in order to alleviate concerns about the implementation,” said Peters.

This presentation is part of a series planned for the remaining months leading up to VAT.

For more information on the VAT implementation please call the Ministry of Finance VAT hotline between 9 am and 5 pm, Monday-Friday at 225-7280. You can also visit the official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/vatbah242.