Comments on: Ram: Cut VAT to 12%

By: Ginger56

Ginger56 — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:53:49 +0000

Yet a lot of the PPP mouthpieces said it was not VAT that resulted in the high cost of living.

By: neileosb

neileosb — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:47:14 +0000

This Government is not at all concerned about the poorer class of people in this country. Everything is going up (and we understand globally) because of oil prices, the bus fares, gasolene, car parts, food stuff, speed boat, and ridiculously the DHB toll from $50 to $100. an increase of 100%, this is terrible, then VAT of 16%, and no increase of wages and salary, where will we get the money for all this increase? Children to educate, bills to pay etc. what is really going on, this is enough to send one crazy in this country. That’s part of the reason for increased crime rate, the crisis is pushing people to the limit, people will continue to steal and kill because of desperation.

By: CFO

CFO — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:22:12 +0000

Ram is probably public enemy numero uno by now. The Government collects too much via taxes (including VAT and Income Tax) and therefore needs to reduce the tax burden on the people. I am tired of hearing that they spend it on programmes for the benefit of Guyanese – i just think they waste it.

By: rhythm

rhythm — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:17:57 +0000

MIstake or not, I dont know if the VAT should be reduced to the amount that Mr Ram is suggesting. Indeed the world is in a crisis, all because of the fuel cost which affects everything. Transportation and manufacturing are affected. Think about it, a barrel of oil was 30 usd in 2000 and 8 yrs later its about 148 usd per barrel, that is about a 500% increase.

By: GOPIE

GOPIE — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:20:28 +0000

YOU SHOULD BE A CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT………..IN THE PRESENT DAY WORLD, EVERYTHING GOES UP, EXECPT WAGES……EVEN IN THE BIG APPLE, LONDON,CANADA ETC.THINGS ARE GETTING FROM BAD TO WORSE…..THERE IS A GLOBAL CRISIS DONT YOU KNOW THAT?

By: Sally

Sally — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:14:16 +0000

this is just unbelieveable….how can they not see such a significant mistake? i do hope that the people in Guyana realise that they have been greatly disappointed by the Government. Mr. Ram is absolutely right, 16% is way too much. 12% VAT is moderately ok, although it’s still alot if one was to compare the tax paid by consumers in Guyana to the tax paid by consumers of another country.

By: Steel

Steel — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:36:19 +0000

A lot of people see only as far as their noses. Here is a prominent businessman now lamenting the VAT curse pronounced on guyanese, like if they had absolutely no idea that this thing was in the making. Like if he didn’t support it in the first place. Like if he wasn’t wooed as many others to promote it. Now they see their world falling apart, their profits and lifestyle threatened. But how many poor people were not made poorer because of this VAT. Money supposedly back by gold, unless printed out of thin air, simply changes hands from the poor to the rich. The poorer the public gets the richer their lawmaker gets. If laws are passed without much public input or full awareness they can be ‘unpassed’ if we protest indignantly loud enough.

By: guyanesestarfish

guyanesestarfish — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:52:54 +0000

why don’t they make everything 5 % and ease the headache, make the zero-rated items 5 %, make the 16 % items 5 % you win some; lose some. it works like this, if a store sold $1000000 worth of goods a day, then that store will pay $ 50000 to gra, that way ppl wouldn’t know they are paying vat, because you wouldn’t need to put the price for vat on the items, it’s vat in disguise.

By: La vie est bonne!

La vie est bonne! — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:30:00 +0000

In real dollars the people work for peanuts.
Therefore, Ram is correct that the VAT should be reduced to 12%.
Coupled with GPL and GWI most people are in dire straights.
People have to cut out many essentials, perhaps even skipping a nourishing meal to make finances stretch for the month.
This regime implemented the VAT without any foresight and thought for the poor working class. Very typical of this visionless regime.