With the government nearing the implementation of the Value Added Tax (VAT) system, that is expected to bring more money into the public treasury, Free National Movement (FNM) Chairman Darron Cash said he would like to see more public discussion on the matter first.

In a press release yesterday the FNM chairman expressed the complication of the topic and how it should be broken down into an easier way for the average Bahamian citizen to understand.

“It appears that despite the reality of “an already complicated topic” the government is still hell-bent on stuffing VAT down the already sore throats of the Bahamian people,” he said.

“Because they have done so very little to prepare both consumers and business owners, they should be very careful of this ‘stuff it’ strategy. The people need information and given the complexity of all the financial issues before them, the government should spend a good deal of time explaining the proposed changes over and over again.”

Mr. Cash believes the Christie administration is “whistling past the graveyard when it comes to the full package of financial legislation they have already passed and the ones that sit on the drawing board.”

“They are pushing ahead with far too little consideration of the true financial consequences that these measures will have on the overall economy, struggling workers and the struggling companies for which they work.”

“They are pushing ahead with far too little consideration of the true financial consequences that these measures will have on the overall economy, struggling workers and the struggling companies for which they work. The Christie administration has been a closed shop, led by a secretive prime minister. This regime has been extremely disinterested in public disclosure, tight on general information to explain the basis for their policy decisions and not open to even pretense about consultation with the Official Opposition. “

According to Mr. Cash, it is time for a new approach to public engagement and education.

He said there are far too many issues and unanswered questions about the full menu of financial legislation coming down the track for the government to continue down the current path of secrecy and select dissemination of information.

The chairman also criticised Minister of State for Finance Michael Halkitis and what he calls a “failed” mortgage relief plan.

“As the prime minister contemplates his cabinet shuffle, the inexperienced Minister of State for Finance, Michael Halkitis, will be under enormous pressure to demonstrate that he should be allowed to keep his big job in finance given the multiple failures to date,” he said.

“As the government considers Mortgage relief 2.0, the public is left to speculate how much of their money will be spent to prove that the government’s policy is actually helping people. The FNM expects that’s what will add to the minister’s desperation effort to give away the store is the fact that there are increasing calls for one of the two ministers of finance to be changed as a means of inspiring public confidence that meaningful progress can be made under new management in the Ministry of Finance.”

Mr. Cash added that he hopes the public is involved in the VAT discussion sometime soon.