The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Not even 24 hours into 2024 and all hope to improve the ease of doing business in the country has been shot.

The Department of Inland Revenue ends 2023 announcing system upgrades, but on the first day of business this year, thousands were blocked from accessing their account and applying to renew their licences online.

What happened to “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it?” Surely keeping what you have is better than blowing everything. Grandma may have kept her money under the mattress but at least she could always access it.

As thousands of businesses are left wondering when the email will come, the department issues the update that “a definite time cannot be given at this time”.

Where has the ease of doing business gone? Did someone buy it a first-class one-way ticket out of The Bahamas? Last year, new business licence applications could take up to nine months (especially in Eleuthera), some executive tier immigration work permit applications were not even approved due to a backlog of 2022 applications the Immigration Department was still processing, and this year top gross revenue companies must submit to an in-depth government audit or face massive fines. It is pure madness. To say the present state of doing business here was laughable, would be a compliment.

Businesses must now be wondering if they can survive this latest blow.

It’s not the economic feet of others that are hindering our progress, it’s our decision-makers who are fumbling and failing to act.

ADRIAN WHITE, MP

January 2, 2024