est. 2007

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Senator Caswell Franklyn Speaks – Mia Scares

Prime Minister Mia Mottley shows off a Kensington Oval ready for T20 World Cup

I’m to ask and every right thinking person must be wondering: in whose interest is the Mia Mottley Administration managing the affairs of this country?

I would not be so silly to suggest that previous administration left this country in good order.  And I would be the first to admit that the new administration needed to take measures to restructure and stabilise the economy.  But so far, the measures imposed by this new labour party administration has shown a merciless disregard for the plight of the most vulnerable in this society.  As promised, the Government removed the much vilified National Society Responsibility Levy (NSRL), which was collected from the merchant class up front, and replaced it with a series of punitive measures that took particular aim at the poor and labouring classes in the country.

This country is badly in need of revenue and the Government seems content to raise the necessary funds to run the country by taxing the people that a labour party was philosophically set up to protect.  On the other hand, this administration has moved swiftly to ensure that its friends and family are protected from the ravages of this marauding tax collecting machine that came into power on May 25, 2018.

This administration has even placed a tax on water, while at the same time forgiving the billions of dollars in income taxes that were owed mainly by the merchant class, who fund election campaigns, and by their close friends and family.

Last December the Government introduced and passed an amendment to the Income Tax Act to write off taxes that were owed by persons between 1968 and 2000.  The cynical among us, including me, believe that this was a measure aimed at giving tax relief to the Prime Minister’s father.

The country did not cry out about that atrocity and that has emboldened the Government to prepare legislation that would write off the Value Added Tax (VAT) that was collected and stolen by VAT registrants between 1996 and 2000.  The furniture store, Courts, is set to receive a write off of the principal sum of $35 million not included interest and penalties, that will also be written off by this legislation.

Lord, the people of this country prayed for a change but if they only knew what they would have gotten.  I am reminded of what my grandmother would say:  BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PRAY FOR, YOU MIGHT GET IT.

The amendment bill is attached.

333 responses to “Senator Caswell Franklyn Speaks – Mia Scares”

  1. Dame Bajans Avatar
    Dame Bajans

    On another note, i paid my property taxes since last October and to date, I have not received my receipt. I wonder what they waiting on. Did they send home people from BRA too.

  2. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ Pachamama

    I am Barbadian. I therefore know how we manage change. And I have not underestimated the gravamen of the situation. Unfortunately some of us are still at the cross roads not knowing which turn to take. God is working his purpose out. Relax.

  3. Fractured BLP Avatar
    Fractured BLP

    David BU & Darwin Dottin !

    Those 3 ” D s ”

    Are the …..3 Ds creating all the mess Barbados is witnessing post May 24, 2018 !

    The TRILOGY of those 3 Ds is the source of our current ills in this country !

    Stop the ROTTIN’

    Hurry up and fire…..David BU & DOTTIN !

    Barbados deserves BETTER !

  4. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Dame bajans,

    i stand corrected . Chalk it up to the time at which I read the bill. I was half-asleep.

    Now, I cannot tell you exactly how much VAT I would have paid to these particular business without having the names of the businesses who would benefit being exposed. Any of them who collected my VAT and did not pay it in as far as I am concerned OWE ME IT BACK! MIA has NO RIGHT to write off any VAT that they collected from us and used to their advantage for all these years. We could have used that money for ourselves instead of obtaining loans from a bank. Instead we were used as a bank. They have used poor people as a bank. This is DIABOLICAL!

    THIS IS DIABOLICAL!

  5. Sunshine Sunny Shine Avatar
    Sunshine Sunny Shine

    David

    So if an audit was not done no one would have known that her father did not pay his taxes? Bee geez u me, this gets better and better. So the insufferable Rogue is ensuring that her father gets out of this debacle by granting amnesty and bestowing upon him esteem knight of some shite so he can operate above the average citizen? Not even a year yet. I told you all that this woman was Rogue here. Sounds to me like a directive to cover the matter was given. Since the DLP crooks would have never consented to this, this cover was done during the BLP 14 years and Arthur has provided a hint when it was done.

    I would like Puff Enuff and Artax to shed some light on how businesses and Rogue-Works father could get away without paying any taxes for so many years. Artax you are the best person to answer this since you sought to debunk my assertion that persons of prominence are subjected to the same tax treatment as anyone else because it is about who you know and how much money you willing to pay.

  6. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Listen Looney Tunes,

    Your beloved capitalism has concentrated almost ALL of the world’s wealth in the hands of a few thousand people whilst billions are starving. STARVING! And it has nothing to do with whether people are willing to work or not. Some people have two and three jobs and still cannot make ends meet.

    The system is rigged to benefit the few! Who among us cannot see that?

    ENOUGH!

    We are not from the US of A. We may be stupid but not that stupid.

  7. Fractured BLP Avatar
    Fractured BLP

    Under the cover of darkness on Friday March 01, 2019, the Barbados Parliament passed the Caribbean Community Amendment Bill 2019 which amongst other things grants the following rights to Caricom citizens entering Barbados:

    No work permits needed for spouses of Caricom nationals

    Spouse is also defined as a common law spouse

    Free education and healthcare to Caricom citizens and their dependents residing in Barbados, including University education

    Do Bajans really understand the implications and consequences of this move by our Parliamentarians?

    Whilst PM Mottley is in a naked hurry to emerge as the leader in Caricom, she must do it in a manner that is not injurious to the economic and social wellbeing of Barbadians and Barbados.

    Whilst it is ok to speak of contingent rights, the reality is that within the Caricom experience it is nothing but a pipe dream. The disparity of our social services makes this a joke.

    Show me which Bajan is going to move to Guyana or Jamaica and get the same quality healthcare or education as they get at home?

    Bajans must now prepare for an influx of Caricom citizens including Haitians. I am not xenophobic, I am simply realistic.

    We struggle to sustain our hard fought education and healthcare systems to allow them to be compromised by strangers in our midst.

    We will hear that Caricom citizens residing here will pay taxes too but realistically they will never pay enough to cover such costs.

    In 10 years time we will not recognize our island. Its culture will be changed, its dialect will be different and its economy worse off.

    Please Bajans, wake up and let Mia, Edmund Hinkson et al know that this Bill needs full ventilation in every corner of Barbados before any further action.

    Barbadians deserve BETTER !

  8. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    BOTH ENUFF AND LORENZO BOTH NOW HAVE BILATERAL TORSION OF THEIR LIKKLE BALLIES—–THE MOST PAINFUL MALADY OF A MAN
    THE PAIN IS SO SEVERE THAT ENUFF AND LORENZO CANT SAY A WORD TODAY

    AS MY GRAND MOTHER USED TO SAY “COME OUT THINGS” AS FRANKLIN HAS DONE

  9. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Vincent Codrington

    That god may turn out to be a mere dog. Or worse still, a White man’s god, sold us as part of a propaganda war.

    Relies too much, entirely, on faith.

    Be gone with him! That god is dead, never lived. No thanks!

    Give us something more material. Don’t hide behind foolishness, escapism.

  10. David Avatar
    David

    It seems the Senator is making more opposition noise than the DLP and other third parties combined.

  11. Georgie Porgie Avatar
    Georgie Porgie

    RE We will hear that Caricom citizens residing here will pay taxes too but realistically they will never pay enough to cover such costs.

    In 10 years time we will not recognize our island. Its culture will be changed, its dialect will be different and its economy worse off.

    IS THIS NOT WHAT TRUMP IS SAYING IN THE USA

    @ FREEDOM CRIER KEEP UP YOUR WORK!
    THERE IS NOTHING LOONEY TUNES ABOUT YOU

  12. Freedom Crier Avatar
    Freedom Crier

    Pr- Madonna…Could you name Ten Countries that have this Great Inequality that practice Capitalism?

    Educate Us…

  13. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    “ALL roads lead to a lack of leadership at the household level”
    (David quote)

    What will he say next……..if that is not a classical apologist’s cop out, I really don’t know what an apologist is!!
    Allow me to wallow in my well established ignorance

  14. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    David

    Both you and the Senator, most here as well, are still approaching this ‘problems’ as though the systems are not working right, malfunctioning.

    On the contrary, the systems are working exactly as intended. The sooner we come to see that, the sooner we can start to think about another way. Join the revolution acoming!

    There’s a growing movement to ‘Abolish Capitalism”. Now that is where we must be focused!

    For example, American political elites, on both sides, especially the democrats, are trying to get in front of it, the emerging global movement, to stymie its deep radical intent.

    You see this within the health care, reparations, third world debt discourses etc

  15. Hal Austin Avatar
    Hal Austin

    May I humbly suggest that since this Mottley-led, BLP government is giving taxpayers’ money, that those who benefit from the VAT hand out should be named with the total amounts cancelled?

  16. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ Pachamama

    You are the escapist not I. The straw man that you set up. Does not phase me. Stop writing nonsense and get down to some serious political and economic research. We are in the second decade of the 21st century BCE.
    Your tools are unsuitable to the tasks at hand.

  17. Hants Avatar
    Hants

    @ Fractured BLP who wrote ” In 10 years time we will not recognize our island “.

    You are aware that Guyanese will be returning to Guyana to enjoy the new found oil wealth.

    Caricom citizens may also go to where the money is.

  18. Mariposa Avatar
    Mariposa

    Trending on social media

    Under the cover of darkness on Friday March 01, 2019, the Barbados Parliament passed the Caribbean Community Amendment Bill 2019 which amongst other things grants the following rights to Caricom citizens entering Barbados:

    No work permits needed for spouses of Caricom nationals

    Spouse is also defined as a common law spouse

    Free education and healthcare to Caricom citizens and their dependents residing in Barbados, including University education

    Do Bajans really understand the implications and consequences of this move by our Parliamentarians?

    Whilst PM Mottley is in a naked hurry to emerge as the leader in Caricom, she must do it in a manner that is not injurious to the economic and social wellbeing of Barbadians and Barbados.

    Whilst it is ok to speak of contingent rights, the reality is that within the Caricom experience it is nothing but a pipe dream. The disparity of our social services makes this a joke.

    Show me which Bajan is going to move to Guyana or Jamaica and get the same quality healthcare or education as they get at home?

    Bajans must now prepare for an influx of Caricom citizens including Haitians. I am not xenophobic, I am simply realistic.

    We struggle to sustain our hard fought education and healthcare systems to allow them to be compromised by strangers in our midst.

    We will hear that Caricom citizens residing here will pay taxes too but realistically they will never pay enough to cover such costs.

    In 10 years time we will not recognize our island. Its culture will be changed, its dialect will be different and its economy worse off.

    Please Bajans, wake up and let Mia, Edmund Hinkson et al know that this Bill needs full ventilation in every corner of Barbados before any further action.

    I am married to a Caricom national but wrong is wrong

  19. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Before we abolish rather than just attempt to rein in rampant, rampaging, marauding capitalists we need to devise a new system to replace capitalism.

    What is the new system proposed?

  20. SirFuzzy (Former Sheep) Avatar
    SirFuzzy (Former Sheep)

    In any way possible i cannot see why this change or amendment is required. The VAT money was never theirs to hold on to in the first place. But you held onto IT any-ways. So you(mr/ms VAT collector) got yourself a unauthorised loan from the GOB and its taxpayers. Now it seems you dont want to pay the interest on the unauthorised loan that “you took” as oppsed to “being granted”. so our GOB good natuered fellas will waive it away like nothing ever happened. “Men in Black” stylee. took in to the camera (flash) the interest payments and any asocited need to pay them just vanished; along with our taxpayers monies.

    It must be the “good” “better” “best” “bestest” deal in the world. You get to use money that is not yours to do whatever u like. If you get caught with your hand n the cookie(VAT) jar u smile plead insanity(not honesty) and we the good ppl of Bim will say take out your clenched hand of the jar with as much money as you can. Secondly as u owed up to being bad we will not punish u with any interest payment on the cookies u took with out our knowledge?

    where can i get such a deal. just asking.

  21. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Donna

    We have long suggested that cooperatives be made of everything, every institution.

    In fact, there is an international movement so to.

    Of course, others may have other ideas. But the discourses must begin.

    BTW capitalism is only about 300 years. Meaning it has not always been the organizing principle for countries, regions.

    In any event, should it collapse, like we estimate, we’ll have to find an alternative.

    Good strategy planning, national planning, requires having all kinds of plans, though many may not be needed – redundancy!

  22. David Avatar
    David

    @William

    Nothing wrong at all in being ignorant about some things. No man can know it all although a few on BU try to make it so.

    Who is responsible for driving change in a society?

    Who has to have the discernment to create the third party movement which you hope for?

    Who is responsible for holding elected officials as one example accountable?

    Who do you blame for supporting the duopoly?

    Etc etc…

  23. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    We the people.

    We the people.

    We the people.

    We the people

    Etc. etc…

  24. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    “ALL roads lead to a lack of leadership at the household level”
    (David quote)
    What will he say next……..if that is not a classical apologist’s cop out, I really don’t know what an apologist is!!
    Allow me to wallow in my well established ignorance
    +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    The above is the David/Skinner back and forth

    Skinner, you have spent your whole adult life blaming bad leadership in the Caribbean as causal.

    How is David’s error any different to yours.

    He blames the ‘households’ and you, have for decades, cited the ‘bad leaders’.

  25. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    No

    We don’t mean the sloganeering of no ‘we the people’

    We are talking about democracy as an economic system, with little to do with politics.

  26. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Pacha,

    It is obvious that we cannot go on as it is. The one per centers have recognized that the masses are not going to put up with their vampire ways forever. They sat around talking about it in Davos but avoided the real issue of their blood sucking. Their greed is destroying everything around them and their children will suffer for it but they still believe they can protect them.

    I don’t think they will change until the system goes belly up. Again. The masses will not allow their governments bail them out again, I don’t think.

    Except here in Barbados. It seems the VAT write off will proceed with hardly a murmur.

  27. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Pacha,

    That was for David. Not you.

  28. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Donna

    You must have been at a conference recently attended. For yours was the central conclusion of all there.

  29. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    All I am going to say is that the last administration instituted a tax amnesty from September 2016 to February 2017. What does that tell you? Stupse.

  30. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Enuff

    You really think that that is ‘enough’ to counter the basic argument being made here. Pun intended!

  31. Waru Crazy, Unstable & Hogging the Blog Avatar
    Waru Crazy, Unstable & Hogging the Blog

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/04/banking-leak-exposes-russian-network-link-to-prince-charles-troika-laundromat

    Pacha
    ..no great surprise, the criminality alwayd starts at the top where the scum floats…then ya will hear the small island copiers gushing…wuh dem does do it, all over the world, so we could do it too…but what they fail to realize is that the scum floating at the top also get investigated.

  32. WARU, Crazy & Unstable, Hogging the Blog Avatar
    WARU, Crazy & Unstable, Hogging the Blog

    Maybe Ha, Ha can analyze this for us..

    “A charity run by Prince Charles received donations from an offshore company that was used to funnel vast amounts of cash from Russia in a scheme that is under investigation by prosecutors, the Guardian can reveal.

    Money flowing through the network included cash that can be linked to some of the most notorious frauds committed during Vladimir Putin’s presidency.

    In all, it is estimated that $4.6bn (£3.5bn) was sent to Europe and the US from a Russian-operated network of 70 offshore companies with accounts in Lithuania.

    The details have emerged from 1.3m banking transactions obtained by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and the Lithuanian website 15min.lt.

    Shared with media partners including the Guardian, the data represents one of the largest ever banking leaks.

    There is no suggestion that end recipients of funds were aware of the original source of the money, which arrived via a disguised route. However, the documents indicate that criminal and legitimate money may have been mixed together, making it impossible to trace the original source, before passing through screen companies into the global banking system.”

  33. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Income tax, land tax and VAT are different. The businesses collected money from us their customers. What this means is that we paid MORE THAN THE AGREED PRICE FOR THE GOODS AND SERVICES WE RECEIVED. The government can write off income tax and land tax. That is not money collected from us the customers under a false pretext. These businesses deprived us of our money and used it for their purposes. In the meantime we had to borrow money and pay interest.

    Don’t come with that shit, Enuff. This is DIABOLICAL!

  34. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    Pacha,

    I haven’t attended any conferences lately. I am on pause for various reasons beyond my immediate control.

  35. Donna Avatar
    Donna

    The difference here is that we have not interfered in the politics or economies of these Caribbean countries causing them to deteriorate to the extent that their people flee to our shores. The difference is that America has repeatedly intervened in the affairs of Central America, just as they have done in Iraq, Syria. and many African countries in pursuit of their own interests.

    Why should their chickens not come home to roost?

  36. Dullard Avatar
    Dullard

    This may be slightly off topic.

    http://epaper.barbadostoday.bb/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&pubid=87ad6005-1972-4d63-92b0-8927eda53c7a

    “Having received no suitable response to our advertisement for the positions of Special Dough Mixers, it is our intention to submit work permit applications for non-nationals to fill these positions.”

    @BU
    Is it because I am a Dullard or does Barbados really need to import foreign labour to mix flour dough?

  37. David Avatar
    David

    @Dullard

    It is a case of the tail waging the dog. Prominent players in the tourist industry call shots. Think Sandy Lane Royal Shop fiasco. Think washpan of concessions to Sandals.

  38. David Avatar
    David

    If Courts Barbados matter was on appeal why should they benefit from the tax waiver?

  39. Barbados Underground Whistleblower Avatar
    Barbados Underground Whistleblower

    All current and former Businesses who collected and paid VAT from their returns to Inland Revenue during this same period 1996 to 2000 as required by Law should receive a full refund from BRA to level the playing field.

    This foregiveness is condoning STEALING.

  40. Artax Avatar
    Artax

    “I would like Puff Enuff and Artax to shed some light on how businesses and Rogue-Works father could get away without paying any taxes for so many years.”

    SSS

    How would I know…….. I’m guessing the same way how tenants could get away without paying NHC rent or not paying the Ministry of Agriculture for market space for so many years?

    Or perhaps the officers charged with the collection of taxes (NHC and MoA rent) are not doing their jobs?

    Or better yet, in 1968 when a toddler, Mottley told her father not to pay taxes because when she becomes PM sometime in the future, she will write them off?

    I can’t shed any more light than this. After all, I’m an appallingly ignorant, paranoid, deranged bookkeeper, who regurgitates what I am told because I learnt by rote.

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++

    “Artax you are the best person to answer this since you sought to debunk my assertion that persons of prominence are subjected to the same tax treatment as anyone else because it is about who you know and how much money you willing to pay.”

    SSS

    I’m at a loss!!!

    WHEN did I SEEK “to DEBUNK your assertion that persons of prominence are SUBJECTED to the SAME tax treatment AS ANYONE ELSE because it is about WHO you know and HOW MUCH money you WILLING to pay.”…………

    ……….. when I mentioned SIMILAR in my contribution?

  41. Fractured BLP Avatar
    Fractured BLP

    Good point Barbados Underground Whistleblower.

    I will wait to see if David BU endorse it or scuttle the idea.

    A funny chap…..tbat David BU

    A strong supporter of the return of Darwin Dottin ( his cousin ) to ” public life “

  42. millerthe anunnaki Avatar
    millerthe anunnaki

    @ Enuff March 4, 2019 3:12 PM
    “All I am going to say is that the last administration instituted a tax amnesty from September 2016 to February 2017. What does that tell you? Stupse.”
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    The “last administration” also granted a waiver of duties and taxes on a luxury vehicle to be driven by a ghost while performing ‘its’ duties’ as Sales Director for an imaginary hotel called the Hyatt on the Bay.

    Are we to conclude that since the luxury vehicle crashed into the Coverley roundabout and has been written off the current administration would NOT be pursuing the recovery of proceeds from this blatant tax evasion scheme carried out by a baloney talking ghost called Casper?

    Of course this ‘issue’ is out of your political pay-grade since you are not in receipt of any quid pro quo grain given to those ‘scratchy’ birds of the backyard variety.

    PS: Caswell Franklyn, you need to keep your promise of prosecuting (in the Senate) this clear case of DBLP banditry.

  43. Sunshine Sunny Shine Avatar
    Sunshine Sunny Shine

    Artax

    Ok so we agree to disagree, to agree again. That is fine by me. Case closed.

  44. WARU, Crazy & Unstable, Hogging the Blog Avatar
    WARU, Crazy & Unstable, Hogging the Blog

    Miller my man….if you only knew what was happening on the ground, you too would say it was inevitable, but it’s best to just watch it grow…to reach its natural conclusion….

  45. Greene Avatar
    Greene

    how about MAM cussing Stuart for buying a new Benz and as soon as she became PM she sold the Benz and is now being chauffeured in a Suzuki.

    in all seriousness MAM is doing exactly what she said she would do. it is just that the electorate was more focused on getting rid of that dreadful iteration of the DLP than digesting what she said

    this has always been the playbook of the BLP – bring in foreigners and forgive the debts of their friends and supporters e.g. Gems hotel debt forgiveness and as far back as 76 Tom said he would like Bim to become more cosmopolitan looking

  46. Caswell Franklyn Avatar
    Caswell Franklyn

    Miller

    It is very hard to keep up with the nastiness being perpetrated by this Government but I will try my best.

  47. Pachamama Avatar
    Pachamama

    Miller

    You got much more ‘cents’ than that!

    How could it be that this BLP was to be the newer and better model than the duty-free car that was crashed last May 2018.

    Yours is the kind of tribalism which people like Enuff so engage that sustains the duopoly – decadent political culture.

    Only that kind of a mindset would refuse to tell this government that it has made a mistake/s, as stated in the above article.

    When you so refute with such specious justifications you merely vacate high ideals and become a lowly political hack, we regret.

  48. Lorenzo Avatar
    Lorenzo

    Hey Fractured Mr Dottin seems to have you scared i wonder why?Maybe he has evidence on your Party ex Mp,s and you got you jittery but time longer than twine.Whatever you have hidden will come to light.As for the expert Hal Austin who big up Mr Thompson and when pressed claimed Mr Thompson would have been a good PM because he interacted well with people well well and Austin on here criticizing Ms Mottley who in my view is ten times the politician Mr Thompson was well well.Mr Tho.pson first budget was the begining of the over taxing of bajans.In my view all Mr Thompson wanted was to become PM but had not a clue about running a country.Therefore Mr Austin hence where we are today.

  49. Enuff Avatar
    Enuff

    So Mottley father owes taxes but refuses to take advantage of Sinckler’s tax amensty in 2016 (or as some here would like you to believe he was barred because he is a Mottley) because he knew his daughter would win in two years and she would grant him the same option. I repeat these schemes are aimed at boosting government revenue through incentivising debt payment. Some of the biggest critics here and their families benefiting from the same amnesty. Anyhow, I give up. Continue with the egofowlism, gotcha moment and pick-a-noise mentality.

  50. William Skinner Avatar
    William Skinner

    @ Pacha
    It seems to me that everybody has erred in their assessment of what is wrong except you!
    I find it more than passing strange that you are now joining David et al and attempting to shift blame from the ruling class to the people now trying to reference them as “households.”Note that your martyr David said : “all roads” lead to the “households”
    Do inform if you have made this seismic shift. I remain steadfast in my view that we have yet to produce the leaders necessary for the transformation you herald.
    We are on a rudderless ship my brother and you know it. It cannot be saved by intellectual anarchy.

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