United Progressive Party Accuses Browne Administration of Breaking Promise not to increase taxes

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Source Real News- The United Progressive Party (UPP) is accusing the Gaston Browne
Administration of breaking its promise by its decision to increase the rate of the Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax (ABST).

Come 2024, the Administration intends to increase the sales tax by 2 percent – reportedly to meet financial obligations, including salary increases to public servants.

Therefore, the ABST will move from 15 to 17 percent, and this is expected to be confirmed on December 15, when Finance Minister Gaston Browne presents the budget for next year.

Damani Tabor, the UPP public relations officer, accuses the Administration of being uncaring and wicked.

He recalls that, in the 2023 Budget Presentation, Browne promised that there would be more efficient tax collection, thereby reducing the need to impose any new taxes or increase the existing ones.

Further, instead of reducing waste, as promised, Tabor says the Administration appears to have spent money wantonly, as was evident ahead of the St. Mary’s South by-election.

The public relations officer says the UPP sympathizes with the plight
of small businesses, since the Government owes many of them large
sums – with no agreement for set-offs to alleviate their hardship.

He advises the Browne Administration to prioritize collection from the larger businesses, as this is the obvious place to start in order to increase revenue.

Meanwhile, Tabor says there is no excuse for the prime minister’s refusal to investigate the leakage of revenue and close all the tax loopholes.

It is Browne’s refusal to move on the matter that is allowing the current low collection to continue, Tabor says; and, ironically, the prime minister is now using low collection as the excuse for raising taxes.

In fact, the UPP spokesman says, it has been reported that only 49 percent of the ABST is now collected.

Prime Minister Browne, during the 2023 budget presentation, had also promised that the practice of exchanges at the Customs Department would be discontinued – except in extraordinary cases.

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14 COMMENTS

  1. The heartless set a people….tell us again to sharpen ah we cutlasses…..lest we forget!! Why do we play that mind game with the people.

    • @ Dexter Pelle

      Mis-representation of what was said, however this was actually said by the PM of Antigua and Barbuda where the entire world heard – to Asot Michael ” I WILL TUMP U IN YA MOUTH’ – is it any wonder that crime and violence, cost of living and voilence by the youths are out of control, mainly caused by the example set by the PM

  2. Lest we forget no new taxes, but here comes ABST, IMF, Personal Income Tax and aryou a ball fu 2%. Ya’ll are a bunch of liards and hypocrites. Stop de crying now man. Aryou sudden nah sweet now. Sickening set!

  3. Taxes and COST OF LIVING WILL RISE RIGHT AFTER THE BY-ELECTION, MARK MY WORD. Antigua and Barbuda done under Gaston Brown Taxes and COST OF LIVING WILL RISE RIGHT AFTER THE BY-ELECTION, MARK MY WORD. Antigua and Barbuda done under Gaston Brown

    @ Hmmmmm?!!!

    It came out of Gaston Brown’s mouth- so now its a lie that he said it, just like it’s a lie that he said he stole the election by transferring voters in various constituencies to enable his colleagues to win their seats?
    THERE IS NO ONE IN ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA LIE LIKE GASTON.
    FYI, the ABST started under Lester Bird and just like all countries in the world need Personal Income Tax, so the UPP scrapped a number of other taxes when the PIT was introduced- but hey, Gaston Brown knew from day 1 that the government needed that lost revenue and all he’s simply doing is restoring the PIT and putting it back on the backs of the poorest in society. Check this, the PIT ABLP scrapped resulted in $40 million of lost revenue, BUT GUESS WHAT: the 2% increase in ABST will yield the same $40 million.
    You minions are just a set of gullible people and swallow everything Gaston says, only because y’all are paid to spread his LIES and PROPOGANDA.

    • That a lie ABST was introduced by UPP in 2007. It’s was Dr Errol Cort who was then finance minister introduced the tax. I know you are being paid the lie like the GB ass kissers Tinman and From the Assside but why spread a lie and can be so easily disputed with a simple Google search

      • Taxes and COST OF LIVING WILL RISE RIGHT AFTER THE BY-ELECTION, MARK MY WORD. Antigua and Barbuda done under Gaston Brown Taxes and COST OF LIVING WILL RISE RIGHT AFTER THE BY-ELECTION, MARK MY WORD. Antigua and Barbuda done under Gaston Brown

        @ Chupes

        ABST was a decision made Caribbean wide when L Bird was the PM, but IMPLEMENTED when the UPP took over the reins of government.

        If you study management you should be aware of the various stages of strategy, one of which is IMPLEMENTATION!!

        • Work hard fa ya money. Ya can swing high and swing low u can twist the truth all u want but everybody knows ABST was introduced under UPP by none other than Earrol “March from Mount Macknish to Buggy Peak to Mount St. John’s” Cort. As I said a simple Google search proves that. But work tiny work. Show up Tinman and Sidelines who is the better party troll.

  4. This morning around 10:00am I drove down on Vivian Richards street. Due to the traffic I had a little bit of waiting next to the sculpture of Viv Richards. Same time some tourists (who I now realised find pleasure in walking all over town) were on that stretch of road. While walking next to my vehicle a female tourist was pointing her hand downwards to one member of her party. I said to myself what could she be hinting at. Lo and behold as a drove a little further on and look in my side mirror I realised the female tourist was gesturing to the person immediately behind her to MIND THE HOLE IN THE SIDE WALK!!!!! Yes the one opposite Sir Viv’s bust!!!

  5. I am not a party person. Never was and never will. I call a spade a spade. The nerve of this gentleman to talk about an increase in the ABST.

    Perhaps he can address a few of the taxes that the UPP implemented….
    RRC 10%
    ABST 15%
    PIT…Tiered rate
    And this gentleman wants up to get all up in arms over 2%.
    How can we take either parties seriously when they are busy playing politics instead of governing?

  6. The fact is, no matter what the minions try to defend here, Gaston Browne is a notorious, pathological liar. NOTHING, NOTHING he says is credible. Anyone with a first form education knows this man is a profound idiot. The man is a financial dunce, and as long as he controls our tax revenues, Antigua and Barbuda will sink into oblivion.
    Just listen when he throws numbers out. It’s like one and one makes four.
    The day will come minions, when the books are opened and we shall see the disaster. Have you ever wondered why we get no audited accounts of the government’s finance?

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