Government says ABST cut aims to ease cost pressures despite IMF concerns
The government says a planned temporary reduction in the Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax from 17% to 7% is intended to provide targeted relief to households facing rising costs, even as the International Monetary Fund has raised concerns about the measure, Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant said Thursday.
Merchant acknowledged the IMF’s position during the post-Cabinet press briefing, while defending the government’s approach.
“We do understand the concerns of the IMF and the government understands the concerns of the people,” Merchant said.
He said the administration views the temporary tax reduction as a response to hardship caused by imported inflation, noting that Antigua and Barbuda relies heavily on imports.
“One way of addressing the concerns of the hardship being faced by our people, through the importation of inflation, due to the high prices on the international market — and we import 90-plus percent of all goods — there is the need for some relief,” he said.
Merchant said the reduction is expected to take effect between the second and third quarters of the year, likely between June and August, and will be limited in scope.
“It is going to be specific to the purchase of school-related items and food products,” he said, adding that the ABST on those items would be reduced “down to 7%.”
He said the government believes the temporary measure strikes a balance between easing cost pressures on families and maintaining fiscal discipline.
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Yes, you understand everything, but yet still this pigheaded administration will forge ahead in its ignorance.
Just admit that GB’s pie in the sky budget was froth with some of most audacious promises to ever come out of a budget speech.
Antigua is just not where we are folks..we are far from where they said we are or should be.
We are hanging onto a thin thread, and that thread it constantly on the verge of popping any minute or any given day of the week.
They lost the country, but meanwhile GB is overseas spending your money talking about more pie in the sky promises for Antiguan’s.
Again, I don’t personally hate or even know GB as a person, but as a finance minister, he’s the biggest airball in the financial history of Antigua.
This man doesn’t have a clue, or does he, and just continue to look out for himself and his cronies?
But the gravy train will soon dry up, now that the Maduro oil deals with these crooks were revealed by the US.
What were the answers that the president of WIOC gave you GB, when you hastily called him after you found out that he was detained and searched by the FBI?
What was your hasty meeting about, with your bwoy Skerrit after said Maduro was captured?
I hope y’all got your story/lies straight in the supposedly “meeting”.
But we all know crooks don’t come clean until they’re in jail..
Yes, I’m in agreement with Maurice ‘Monotone’ Merchant. He should keep the reduction of the ABST tax in place despite the protestations of the IMF.
I’m sick and tired of outside interference, whether it comes from the UK, US, Europe or an monetary organisation like the IMF.
Go away and leave Antigua alone!
Go and bother Trump instead …
But you’re a high income state where everyone is rich down to the stray dogs roaming the streets smoking a spliff. So forget what the IMF wants, just do as you like.