September 19, 2014 - Leader of the historic Team UNITY, Dr. Timothy Harris has reiterated the commitment of the incoming new Team UNITY Government to remove the Value Added Tax (VAT) from food, medicine and funeral expenses and educational materials.
Harris declared during his Independence 31 Message to the Nation that as part of Team UNITY's Prosperity Agenda the UNITY government will embark upon and implement a policy of the removal of the VAT on food , medicine ,educational materials and funeral expenses.
The Independence message in part read “As the incumbent regime delays the general elections, the people suffer more. The people need relief from 17% VAT, 85% increase in electricity charges, and increases in social services levy, high unemployment, broken promises on educational and health care. Only Team Unity knows how to make life better for the people. That is why we propose to remove VAT from food, medicine, educational supplies and funeral expenses. We prefer to put money in the pockets of our people and let them prioritize their needs. By reducing mortgage rates, student loans, electricity charges, we give the people more money in their pockets to do more for themselves and to make the transition over time from poverty to prosperity.”
The former Minister of Finance, Industry ,Trade and Commerce continues to make the point in various forums that "VAT at 17% has become oppressive to the poor and has drawn too many people in the poverty line. We must have poverty alleviation as one of our goals with nearly 33 percent of our people living in poverty.
But it is not just a moral imperative to help our people balance their lives, but even our small and large businesses are complaining that vat is stultifying their businesses, undermining their cash flows , reducing their turnover and in many cases the small businesses have had to close their doors . By removing vat we facilitate more small and medium size enterprises to weather the storm. "
He alluded to this in his address when he stated “We will fashion a St. Kitts and Nevis in which Kittitians and Nevisians are endeavouring and achieving. We will support local businesses, incentivise their start-up, expansion and development. We will use our citizenship monies to support local entrepreneurs and enterprises. We will restore the lands to the people for them to build their homes, set up their businesses etc.”
In a recent interview Dr. Harris was reminded of his very humble beginning and gave an insight into his poor and poverty-stricken upbringing and vowed to eradicate poverty in the federation through Team UNITY’s Prosperity Agenda.
The dynamic former Senior Minister said “I lived [in] poverty and I understand the dehumanising conditions of poverty, and I pledge as the Leader of Team Unity and the Leader of the Nation, we will work overtime to alleviate poverty in St. Kitts and Nevis.”
The removal of VAT from Food, Medicine and Educational Materials as well as Universal Access to Early Childhood Education or Free Pre-School are part of Team UNITY’s visionary Prosperity Agenda . Other policies of the Prosperity Agenda includes the removal of all pre-Skelec arrears and a reduction on low income house monthly payments.
The Prosperity Agenda is designed to return prosperity to the federation, put the country back to work and create opportunities for all. Dr. Harris said Unity’s Prosperity Agenda would rely on the pillars of Tourism, Agriculture, Financial Services , Manufacturing and Alternative Energy.
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