Lead Spokesperson for the Vote Yes campaign said she is “delighted” that the government has finally decided to regulate and tax web shops in The Bahamas.

Theresa Moxey-Ingraham told the Bahama Journal Thursday that the government made “a good decision.”

“I was delighted with the announcement as I read about it on social media first,” she said.

“I thought, ‘Hallelujah the government is taking a stance on something that it should have dealt with a long time ago.’ I am pleased that Minister [of Tourism] Wilchcombe has indicated that by the next fiscal year, regularisation and taxation will occur. This is a step in the right direction.”

She did admit however, that regulating and taxing web shops is not the “end all and be all.”

“I’m always careful to say there is no single silver bullet that will cure our revenue issues right now,” Mrs. Moxey-Ingraham said.

“The fact that the government has determined that it will creatively access a possible new revenue source is a good thing and it is a starting point.”

She also commented on the stance taken by the Church in the run-up to the referendum held in January last year.

“I think the Church did what it ought to have done,” Mrs. Moxey-Ingraham added.

“I wasn’t always happy with some of the tone of some of their pronouncements but I think it did its job. Its job is to preach moderation and responsibility and it did that. The Church has always indicated its displeasure with many socially progressive issues over the last two decades. Governments have always done what governments ought to do, which is to lead and govern.”

Tourism and Gaming Minister Obie Wilchcombe said in the House of Assembly Wednesday night that the government plans to have web shops regulated by July 1.

Minister Wilchcombe told parliamentarians that he plans to table the bill within the next two weeks.

“I plan to bring to the Government of The Bahamas in two weeks the regulations that are being proposed by my ministry, the regulations that I hope to bring to Parliament and lay on the table of the House of Assembly when we have the debate on gaming, to make regularised web shops official by July 1 this year,” he announced.

“We’re not going any further. We’re wasting time on this debate. It’s on my watch and I think that we’re doing something wrong. The time has come and the ministry responsible is now moving forward with it and we will make it effective in this country on July 1 because it’s the start of a new fiscal year and the country should benefit from the revenue.”

For more than a year there has been a standoff in the country over the thorny issue.