The problem with enforcing the VAT laws has nothing to do with the junior public officers whose duty it is to collect the tax. Often, officers are proceeding against someone who has failed to pay the VAT and the officer is taken off the case after the VAT cheat made a phone call to a Minister of Government or a senior public officer.
I remember a few years ago, an officer discovered that Courts Barbados Ltd. was not paying in the VAT. An investigation was carried out and an assessment of $25 million was made against the company. The file was taken away from the officer and she was reassigned other work. The assessment was never pursued. All this was happening while the company was giving away cars and free living for a year, presumably out of the stolen VAT.
By the way, because of that case and others like it, the officer got disgusted and retired early and is now drawing a Government pension.
This comment was posted to Barbados Underground on 04 November 2012 by Senator Caswell Franklyn. He has repeated the statement many times since, HOWEVER, he has never been able to elicit a response from the Democratic Labour Party then or the Barbados Labour Party today. If what the Senator alleges is true doesn’t the situation fit nicely into the agenda the Mia Mottley campaigned on?
To the minister of government concerned – here is the question posed in three parts.
- Does Courts Barbados owe the taxpayers of Barbados 25 million dollars (plus interest and penalties)?
- If YES why is this profitable company not being moved against by our government?
- If NO does it make since to issue a statement of clarification to ensure the reputation of the company is protected.
We are so up to here at the sloth exhibited by successive governments as it relates to doing the people’s business.
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