(CHARLESTOWN,NEVIS--WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 11,2010) - Premier and Minister of Finance, Hon. Joseph Parry tells residents of Nevis that Value Added Tax (VAT) should not be feared. He made the statement on Tuesday morning during a recent episode of “Breakfast with Walty” with Host Walter Morton, on Choice Radio 105.3 FM.
“It is not a new tax, it replaces consumption tax. There are certain items that are exempted from taxation and certain items that attract zero taxation.”
The Premier noted that consideration will be given to staple items to assist lower income consumers. He also stated that businessmen will get consideration also, so that they receive time to change over from one system to a new system of tax collection.
In response to the Oppositions criticism of the VAT, Premier Parry said that when the Nevis Reformation Party was in Opposition, they never sought to divide or mislead people like the present Opposition party in Nevis, the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM), does now.
“The introduction of this new kind of politics to Nevis is not healthy, Nevis is a small island, an emerging nation and we do not need this behavior in our country,” commented Premier Parry.
During the program, The Premier informed listeners that the arrival of 17% VAT came about after a consultant from Dominica along with a team from St. Kitts and Nevis did some studies of population and Gross Domestic Product of St. Kitts and Nevis.
According to the Premier, the team looked at the impact of 17% with the intention to make sure that the cost of living in Nevis would not go up.
