EDITOR, The Tribune.
Please permit me space in your paper to express that I am angry as SIN and frustrated beyond pale. I spent all kinds of time money and effort to collect VAT and pay it, and prove that I have paid all my obligations to real Property, National Insurance and my Business license for all previous years just to get my current business license. I have a trade name that my Business license is issued to.
I do not have a limited company. I am the legal body representing that trade name. My business license information was all submitted by the first week in the year and all the money I owed was likewise paid by that same time. I received my Business license on the 17th January. I’m sure I am one of the few that can say this. Now I try to license my 6 commercial vehicles, which happen to be in the trade name even though I own them outright.
Road Traffic officials tell me that in order to license my vehicles I need to prove all the things I needed to prove for my Business license all over again even though I have provided them with my Business license. Including whether I have paid my employees National Insurance. I am in no frame of mind to go through the list of things they need just to pay them a considerable amount (+$3,000) in license fees to use my vehicles on the road.
This is outrageously stupid that our Government, which is the epitome of inefficiency and non-productivity, should introduce redundant waste of time systems that do nothing other than tie business people up in red tape to collect fees. I am so glad that I have retired and really only need the licenses so that I can sell the vehicles. I hate to think of the heartache that our Government is placing on the businessman when they really only need to keep vehicle safety standards and license fee collection uppermost in their minds.
I’m told that if I don’t produce all these items all over again that they won’t issue the licenses. I only hope that they give me a letter to the effect that they won’t license my vehicles because I won’t produce information about my business affairs that they have no right to. In fact they only have a right to know that I have a business license. All else they need to know emanates from that piece of paper. I will then present this to the courts to insist that they do their jobs and not look to invade my privacy and waste my time.
SIMON RODEHN,
Nassau,
March 16, 2017.
Comments
Well_mudda_take_sic 7 years, 1 month ago
Here's what you and the many others in your same predicament should do. Tell all of your employees (and all of your employees' family members) that you will give each of your employees a full extra week's pay on an ex-gratia basis if the corrupt Christie-led PLP governmet does not get re-elected to govern for another 5-year term in the upcoming general election.
Alex_Charles 7 years, 1 month ago
get used to it. This is the Bahamas and it will never EVER change
DDK 7 years ago
IT HAS TO CHANGE. THIS GARBAGE CANNOT CONTINUE. MR ROHDEHN HAS EVERY RIGHT TO FEEL LIKE SPITTING NAILS. GOVERNMENT DOES EVERYTHING IN ITS POWER TO MAKE THE CONDUCT OF BUSINESS IN THIS COUNTRY AS PAINFUL AS POSSIBLE.
sheeprunner12 7 years ago
That is why you need a non-lawyer to run this country after 50 years of Pindling, Ingraham and Christie (they have done all they can to take care of their legal friends, families, lovers and cronies) ........... the FNM candidates list is top-heavy with investors, entrepreneurs and non-lawyer professionals ......... that should be a welcome sight to any Bahamian ...... Why should 1200 lawyers hold this country back for another generation?????????????
Porcupine 7 years ago
Sheeprunner12, With all due respect, this party system has failed. The FNM will do no better. The reason being that the elite business class has already bought the political class. Look around the world. The US now has a billionaire businessman buffoon to lead the people. Let's see how that will turn out. And, give the web shop owners a few more years and they'll have their own employees running the country. Don't believe me? Wait and see. Our problems here stem from an unenlightened populace, going to political parties like they were ball games. We've become mere cheerleaders for a kleptocracy. Look at the losses in this country. Could only a handful of people thief so much? No! We have too many people in this country who are thieving. And, this goes on down the line with every other social ill we face. Bahamian politicians come from the Bahamian populace. We get what we deserve. Until we can raise the literacy rate for adults and encourage some basic understanding of what our politicians are actually doing in our name, nothing can ever, ever change.
sheeprunner12 7 years ago
Sorry ............ you live in a bubble ......... Ingraham DID make a difference in 1992 ........... and Minnis can do the same (Minnis is not Donald Trump)
The two-party system is a part of our political culture ....... the power that goes with the PM Office is more of a bigger problem than the two parties
athlete12 7 years ago
What does a difference in 1992, over 2 decades ago help us now? what about the last time they were in office?... The two party system, though it is apart of our political culture is hurting this country because it limits peoples' thinking that their are not better choices. The US is a good example where you have people voting for hillary because they don't like trum and vice versa. We need to limit the number of seats these that these "parties" can hold. Governing has become maintaining the parties' pride and values instead of that of the people. If the PLP or FNM were genuinely for the people we wouldn't be in this mess now.
alfalfa 7 years ago
The web shop employees are already running the country. Politicians,have,and always will be in their employ through donations, graft, and bribes. Favours are owed and will always be called upon. It will get worse, not better.
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