The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

On Friday, March 6, I read with interest the Tribune’s business article, “Wilson: ‘Get VAT behind us’ prior to NHI Taxation”.

I agree with Mr Wilson that now is not the best time to implement NHI.

Mr Wilson’s rationale is that the nation required more time to “get VAT behind us” before we look at implementing new taxes. He expressed uncertainty whether a year’s time was sufficient.

What I found surprising was Mr Wilson’s candid statements that many of his employees were not utilising the company’s private health insurance since they could not afford to pay the deductible.

By his own admission, the company shells out several hundred dollars per employee per month, to provide his workers with private insurance.

“If they can’t pay the deductible, why the hell do we keep them in the plan,” he was quoted as saying.

Still, this was the same Mr Wilson who earlier in the article felt that the 7.5 per cent VAT “seemed to be settling down”.

Am I understanding this correctly, if “many” in his highly educated work force couldn’t pay the deductible for their private insurance how in the world does he feel that VAT is “settling down”.

Unlike the poor, most professionals view insurance as a necessity.

Mr Wilson, an insurance company owner, is so upset that he’s paying for an under-utilised plan that he’s missing the obvious. His staff has, or is downsizing their lives.

Based on his remarks, Mr Wilson seems cautiously optimistic that NHI could be successfully rolled out – just not now.

Am I missing the boat? Mr Wilson, are you providing your staff with a cost of living increase, several lump sum payments, or sizable bonuses between now and NHI roll-out?

Your staff is telling you there’s nothing left to squeeze out of them, or else they wouldn’t be compromising their health?

The only thing PMH is good at, is being one of the worst hospitals on the planet. If we can’t get that government-run hospital right, how are we expected to handle the large influx of people set to enter through their doors and the doors of government clinics whenever NHI is rolled out?

That your staff is opting to seek care there, should tell you something. Open your eyes. These are dire times.

The government forced this VAT mess down our throats telling us stool would taste like strawberry. Now your rosy glasses outlook is that we need more time before we implement NHI.

What we need is a miracle. Unless our economy begins to post some record growth, we can’t even begin to look in NHI’s direction. And, what your staff needs is a raise.

I need Frankie, Perry and all their fat cat boys to try living on $409 a week. That’s the gross national income per capita of $21,280, as recorded by the World Bank 2014 World Development Report. And, budget as if they had at least one minor child to feed. They simply could not do this!

Frankie, please exit the clouds and re-enter the real world. We couldn’t afford VAT and we certainly can’t afford to waste money implementing NHI.

JOURNAL THIS

Nassau

March 6, 2015.