Antigua and Barbuda is gearing up for the 2024 Budget Presentation, scheduled for December 5th instead of the usual January under the Gaston Browne Administration.
The Cabinet, in extensive discussions with the Ministry of Finance’s team, led by the Financial Secretary, is scrutinizing the government’s fiscal standing. Despite a 16% tax-to-GDP ratio, the Caribbean Development Bank advocates for a 25% balance.
The government aims for a 20% ratio by implementing strategies like reducing discretionary tax waivers, enhancing tax collection, and controlling spending. Social programs will target those in need, while wage adjustments will align with inflation to meet the $38.6 million monthly salary expenditure.
The Ministry of Finance will assess the Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax, seeking ways to enhance its revenue efficacy.
Importantly, no new taxes, particularly Personal Income Tax, will be introduced; instead, efforts will focus on robustly collecting existing taxes.
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That is not breaking tradition. It is doing the write thing. What was wrong was presenting a budget for the year during the year. So you are spending monies without budgetary allocation. That was a drama for the Treasury program Free Balance. Cause every expense needs to have a budgetary head. And the budget department could not release the budget yet on the system. Way to go Mr. PM. Infact you are still late. It should be done in September to give enough time for debate in both houses to be passed before January 1, 2024. In some countries unless the budget is past the Treasury cannot issue any funds. And therefore government will have to shut down.
And@Sidey comes forth, kissing a$$ as he is so good at doing.
Nothing,absolutely nothing this dunce,idiotic minister of finance does is to be trusted. This deranged lunatic epitomizes secrecy and skulduggery and has no credibility. He has dragged our country on the brink of collapse with his incessant borrowings and nothing to show for it.
Watch out people, here comes the taxes. You business owners who are in bed with Gaston Browne, beware.
I hear you @ Watching:
“This deranged lunatic epitomizes secrecy and skullduggery and has no credibility”.
Spot on viewpoint about @ From The Sideline.
You beat me to it sup! 🤜🏽🤛🏽
I will add a Caribbean phraseology that succinctly portrays this “lunatic”:
“If yu nu go unda fowl 🐓 coob, fowl cyan sh#* pan yu”
However, Sidey is well “UNDA” the unaccountable ABLP coob! 😁
Just another fool, that cannot comment on the topic. Just stooping to low gutter politics. I expected better from you, but then again, you do what is in your character.
@Sidelines: If Gaston Browne gives you shit to eat you would eat um. Yum,Yum, it tastes so good.
THIS IS THE TIME WHEN EVBRYBADDY TARK BOUT ANYTHING AND EVBRYTING BUT THE BUDGET……CIRCUSTRY AT ITS BEST
More taxes ,more crime less jobs!
Under ABLP
Interesting to know how the PM will be enforcing tax remittance. As he said on his radio station, a culture has developed where there is non compliance in remitting taxes to the government. Many business people have aligned themselves with the present government so they think they don’t have pay.
The UPP government had the same problem. They introduced a process where the business people had to produce proof of payment of taxes before they could clear their goods. Why was this process ended?
The only way the government is going to get compliance is to hire auditors to go out and audit the books, or re-introduce the proof of payment at customs.
Then again, there is so much corruption in Antigua, the auditors will probably just take money under the table and not do their job.
You seem to forget that when the UPP was in office, collection taxes was also one of their biggest problems. That is why they appointed Everet Chirstian as the Revenue Recovery Manager. Via the IMF they also brought in Mr. Raju Boddu. Actually I applauded that move from the UPP. The only thing the policies that Mr. Christian implemented worked against expanding the economy, because importers could not get their goods out of Customs if they were not in good standing with the IRD. And self-employed also had problems when not paying their PIT. One of the bad things that Everet Christian also did was to use his authority as a political tool to investigate mainly Labour Party alligned businessmen. One who they send the “dogs” on was Asot Michael. Inland simply doesn’t have enough qualified accountants to audit the many companies books. And there are many in Inland Revenue that are corrupt and are taking bribes from business people. We need to stamp out this corruption.
@From the Sideline
What nonsense about not expanding the economy. If they are bringing in more and more goods, what are they doing with the goods? not selling them and keeping the ABST.
The present government will not do what is required to collect the government’s money because of all the money the labour people get from these people. Did they think that these people would take the money they give them from their income?
A real government will do what has to be done to properly run their country. Antigua does not a government. Just a bunch of corrupt self serving (people). Antigua is the wild Wild West where the laws are not enforced.
No matter how big of a hammer you use, you cannot hit commonsense into a stupid person’s head.
And you cannot debate with stupid people they will drag you down and beat you up with ignorance.
That’s why intelligent people have to remain quiet in order not to offend stupid people
@ SIDELINE !!!!YET STILL YOUR STUPIS RASS UNDER HERE LECTURING US ABOUT COMMONSENCE HAHAHA!!!! TALK ABOUT “THE BLIND LEADING THE BLIND” !!!!! LOOK WE STUPID ON OUR OWN ACCODING TO YOU, SO WE DON’T NEED YOUR STUPIDITY ADDED ONTO IT!!! I’VE ALWAYS SEE YOU COMMENTING UNDER POSTS ,TALKING AND I LAUGH !! YOU CLEARLY IS AN AGENT HAHAHA !!!! U DUNCE A RASS!! LEAVE US IN PEACE TO CUSS YOUR ZADDY AND GO BACK KISSING HIS ASS !! (NOT GONNA REPLY TO YOU AFTER THIS POST TRUST ME….. HAHAHAHA LMFAO!!!!!!!)!!!!!!
Note, The business people are not paying in the ABST they collect. Now the government is talking about increasing the same tax. This will just give the business people more taxes to hold on too, while poor people pay more and get poorer. I say to the Prime Minister, reintroduce income tax on high income earners and leave poor people alone.
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