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Pintard: Pause One Tax Bahamas for greater scrutiny BY FAY SIMMONS TRIBUNE BUSINESS REPORTER jsimmons@tribunemedia.net
Opposition seeks clarity on taxpayer data access
OPPOSITION leader Michael Pintard has called for the Government to pause its One Tax Bahamas rollout, arguing that the new tax administration system represents a major public policy change that requires greater consultation, transparency and safeguards before it takes effect on September 1. Mr Pintard said the initiative was being presented as a routine modernisation exercise when, in his view, it represents a significant expansion of the Government's ability to identify, track and enforce against taxpayers through a new
Calls grow for greater consultation before rollout Business community questions September launch readiness Bahamas Identification Number (BIN). “This is a sweeping and unprecedented expansion of the Government’s tax administration apparatus that will ultimately require every Bahamian taxpayer to obtain a unique government-issued tax identification number as a
condition of accessing tax services,” he said. “That is a major public policy change, not an administrative update.” Mr Pintard also questioned the absence of Minister of Finance Michael Halkitis from the
public rollout of the initiative, arguing that the minister responsible should be explaining and defending a major change to the country's tax administration system. “The first question is simple: Where is the Minister of Finance?” said Mr Pintard. “When a government fundamentally changes how citizens are identified and tracked in the tax system, the elected Minister responsible should announce and defend the change.” He also criticised the implementation timetable, arguing that a system of this scale should be subjected to extensive public education, consultation and testing before being imposed on taxpayers and businesses.
Mr Pintard further raised concerns about the security of the information that will be consolidated through One Tax Bahamas, questioning who will have access to taxpayer information, whether government agencies will be able to share information and what safeguards will exist against misuse or cyber breaches. He called for the Government to explain what privacy protections are in place, what consultations were undertaken and what remedies taxpayers will have if information in the system is incorrect.
MICHAEL PINTARD
“The rollout should be paused,” said Mr Pintard. “The Minister of Finance should come before the Bahamian people and explain why this universal tax identification system is necessary, what laws govern its use, how privacy will be protected, who will have access to taxpayer information, what consultations were undertaken, and why
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Persistent outages a “growing headache” for rental operators BY FAY SIMMONS TRIBUNE BUSINESS REPORTER jsimmons@tribunemedia.net PERSISTENT electricity outages on Abaco are creating a growing headache for short-term rental operators, who said guests are increasingly being left without answers when they ask the simple question: when is the power coming back? Jessica Simms, owner of Simms Estate, a short-term rental business in Abaco, said repeated outages were disrupting operations, damaging appliances and making it increasingly difficult to provide a comfortable experience for guests. “We also cater to international guests. Some of them aren't used to not having electricity, and so the first thing they ask you is, ‘When is it coming back
Appliance damage adds to business costs BPL advances longerterm generation plans Outages complicate guest services and operations on?’ And we never have an answer to give them,” said Mrs Simms. She said the outages were affecting almost every aspect of running her properties, from air conditioning and refrigeration to cooking and laundry, while some appliances had also been damaged. “Most of our appliances run off electricity. They need to use the stove, the microwave, the fridge, the AC. Then I have a few appliances that went
bad, so I had to get those repaired and fixed,” she said. Ms Simms said the interruptions were also creating problems with preparing rooms for incoming guests. “Right now, because of these outages, our washer has just gone out, so now I have to find an alternative to washing and getting the rooms ready for our guests. It's minor issues like that that set you back,” she said. She said the outages were particularly difficult
because businesses were not given clear information about when electricity would be restored, leaving operators to make their own arrangements to keep their properties running. Mrs Simms said the cost of installing alternative power was also prohibitive for smaller businesses, particularly those operating multiple rental units. “For us right now, we have multiple units, and to power that we would need at least a $10,000 generator for us to bring that in from the United States,” she said. “And when you add shipping, installation and all of the things to get it in place that can add up to $40,000 easy.” She said businesses could not simply absorb those additional costs
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larger retailers, with some For vendors at RM RM Bailey Park Vendors customers turning to RM Bailey Park, Ms Brown Park after failing said, preparation has to urged to secure stock ‘months Bailey to find specific items at take place well ahead of season because The in advance’ to meet demand stores in shopping malls the Bahamas’ dependence on By ANNELIA NIXON TRIBUNE BUSINESS REPORTER anixon@tribunemedia.net SUPPLY chain disruptions are forcing local retailers to rethink how they stock their businesses, with RM Bailey Park vendors being urged to secure merchandise months in advance and ensure they are carrying the brands and products Bahamian consumers actually want. Karen Brown, president of the RM Bailey Park and Allied Vendors Association, said international shipping challenges linked to the ongoing war have
affected suppliers in the United States and China, leaving some Bahamian retailers struggling to replenish popular back-toschool items. “The difficult thing we had this year was a lot of the suppliers were out of stuff because of this war going on and them trying to get their containers in from China and them blocking these ships,” Ms Brown said. “So a lot of them didn’t get their stuff, and they keep telling me check back.” Ms Brown said the shortage has been particularly noticeable among
and other established retail outlets. “A lot of people couldn’t get a lot of stuff in,” she said. “People were coming over [to RM Bailey Park] because they said they went in Sandy’s or the mall, or they went to Janaees. And I know Janaees still waiting on a container. They still have a lot of stuff, but a lot of people couldn’t get stuff in.” The situation, she said, highlights the importance of smaller vendors being able to identify consumer demand and stock accordingly rather than simply waiting for the traditional shopping season to begin.
Uniform centre defends customer service practices after complaint BY ANNELIA NIXON TRIBUE BUSINESS REPORTER anixon@tribunemedia.net JANAEES Uniform Centre has defended its customer service practices and highlighted the measures it has implemented to manage surging Back-to-School demand, following a customer
complaint alleging she was treated disrespectfully by a member of staff and subsequently denied a refund. The customer detailed her experience in a social media post accompanied by a video, alleging that a Loss Prevention Supervisor was “rude and unprofessional” during her visit and later raised
his middle finger at her as she was leaving the establishment. She said the incident prompted her to abandon her purchase and request a refund. According to the customer, she waited approximately 20 minutes for a manager, identified as Mr Wallace, to address
imported merchandise leaves retailers vulnerable to shipping delays and inventory shortages. “The thing with out here… you have to be shopping for every season, all the time,” she said. “As long as I’m off the island and I see something on sale, I’m going to grab it because I’ll have to put it down for whatever season comes up next.” She said according to her own experience, shopping abroad, the same supply challenges are affecting US-based suppliers, making it even more
LYNDEN PINDLING INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (LPIA)
Tour operator and Traffic Department at odds over loading space at LPIA BY ANNELIA NIXON TRIBUNE BUSINESS REPORTER anixon@tribunemedia.net A DISPUTE over loading space at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA) has escalated, with a tour operator accusing the Road Traffic Department of unfairly reducing her company’s airport space to accommodate livery operators - a claim the department’s controller has flatly rejected. Cheryl Cambridge, proprietor of Cheryl’s Bahamas Taxi & Tours, said her company’s allocation was reduced from what she described as two and a quarter spaces to one and a quarter following meetings involving airport stakeholders and transportation groups. She said the
decision was made without her participation and is now affecting her ability to collect clients. “They had a meeting with the Livery Association and the Taxi Union, and they made some decision that is affecting the tour operators,” Ms Cambridge said. “All tour operators were given three spaces. They had a meeting at the airport without us, and they made a decision that is affecting my business.” However, Road Traffic Controller Dr K Melvin Munroe disputed Ms Cambridge’s account of her current allocation, saying she is operating from two spaces at the airport. “That person is presently operating two spots at the airport, not one,” Dr Munroe said. “So if they
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SUPPLY - See Page B2 the matter. However, she said that when he arrived, she was questioned about the video she had recorded inside the store rather than having her complaint about the employee addressed. The customer said she found the response particularly frustrating because the store has security cameras throughout the establishment. She further alleged that her refund request was refused despite her decision not to
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