Mia promises to roll back levy

Article by Sanka Price

EVEN IF A Barbados Labour Party (BLP) government were to go the IMF route, its prescription would not be “as painful or as unconscionable as the single dose high-risk experiment” adopted by the Freundel Stuart administration in last week’s budget.

BLP leader Mia Mottley promised yesterday that the controversial increase in the national social responsibility levy would be rolled back if her party forms the next government.

“We can’t say at this time whether it will be to five per cent, three point five per cent, the original two per cent or gotten rid of all together. But what’s for sure is that we shall ease, if not remove, the burden of that draconian and heartless imposition on Barbadian consumers,” said Mottley.

Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler said during his Budget presentation last Tuesday that in an effort to address the worrying fiscal deficit, Government would increase the levy from two per cent to ten per cent – a measure that is expected to yield $218 million in revenue for the current financial year. (SP)

Please read the full story in today’s Sunday Sun, or in the eNATION edition.