VAT Sparks Row In House Of Assembly

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – An explosive row erupting in the House of Assembly this morning after Deputy Leader of the Free National Movement Shanendon Cartwright and Englerston MP Glenys Hanna-Martin went head-to-head over their parties’ handling of value-added tax. The back and forth almost got the FNM MP booted from the house.

The row erupted after Cartwright told parliament, during his contribution to the Carbon Markets Initiative bill, that the Davis administration should reverse its decision to place value-added tax on breadbasket items.

On January 1, the Davis administration reduced VAT from 12% to 10% and ended the zero-rating on breadbasket items and medicines.

The back and forth between both members of parliament prompted Deputy Speaker Sylvanus Petty to step in giving this final warning to Cartwright.

Hanna-Martin continued to address the matter in her communication and pointed out that while it was the Christie administration that implemented VAT in 2015, it was the Minnis-led government that increased it by 60% to 12%.

Despite Hanna-Martin’s defence, Cartwright insisted that the government should take action, not point fingers.