Faced with a worst-case scenario of a $1.6 billion fall in revenue, Government cannot afford to “sit and do nothing”, says Minister of Small Business, Entrepreneurship and Commerce Dwight Sutherland.
The St George South MP gave this rationale for the introduction of the Barbados Optional Savings Scheme (BOSS), calling it a continuation of the “enfranchisement model” being pursued for the working class.
Sutherland was speaking yesterday as the House of Assembly debated the Barbados Optional Savings Scheme Bill, 2020.
“We can sit and do nothing, we can twiddle our thumbs, we can allow this slide [of] Government’s projected revenue as per the BERT programme to move from $3.1 billion down to $1.5 billion, which is the worst-case scenario, which is the loss of $1.6 billion,” the minister said in response to criticisms of the programme by Leader of the Opposition Bishop Joseph Atherley. (SC)
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