Stedson Red Plastic Bag Wiltshire’s 1983 hit song Bag of Riddles captured the attention of Barbadians and might have helped him to secure another calypso crown were it not for the rain that prevented the hosting of the competition that year.
In true classic social commentary, the St Philip lyricist sought to raise citizens’ awareness of some critical issues in the country. Some 41 years ago, RPB was questioning why taxpayers were still propping up the sugar growers; why religious leaders seemed so heavily involved in partisan politics; stagnant wages; and, of course, he raised questions about crime.
It is often remarked that social commentaries provide a valuable snapshot of the historical context of the times. Without reading a newspaper or historical text, people are provided with a picture of the times through the lens of the calypsonian.
And just as RPB, the holder of Doctor of Letters from the University of the West Indies, raised some important questions four decades ago, we are of the opinion that the start of 2025 deserves its own list of questions for which answers should be provided.
High on the list of questions that impact a wide cross-section of citizens is:
• When will the temporary Value Added Tax (VAT) rate of 17.5 per cent return to 15 per cent?
When this tax on goods and services was introduced by Prime Minister Owen Arthur in 1997, it was set at 15 per cent with a special provision for hotel accommodation at 7.5 per cent and zero imposition on prescription medicines and exports.
Arthur, a noted economist, rejected recommendations to raise the VAT to 17.5 in 2006, citing what he believed would be the undue hardship it would cause on Barbadians. Former Minister of Finance Chris Sinckler presided over what was supposed to be a temporary VAT increase from 15 per cent to 17.5.
Since that temporary measure, came the National Social Responsibility Levy (NSRL) which was increased from two per cent to 10 per cent in 2017. Thankfully, the NSRL’s life was short-lived but for some reason, the increase in VAT has stayed with Barbadian consumers.
• Why are Barbadian consumers paying 22 per cent VAT on cellular phone use but 17.5 per cent on landline and internet services?
No other good or service in Barbados attracts this elevated rate of VAT and there is no good reason one product should be singled out for a tax that is so much higher than others.
Today, cellular phones are literally pocket-sized mobile computers, and they are vital to communication, research, banking and finance, education and a host of other activities. We contend that if the government has identified computers to be so critical to education and business that they attract no duties at the port, why are users of smartphones subjected to an extraordinarily high VAT rate?
• Why has the Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital become such a seemingly uncontrollable animal that remains a challenge for every Minister of Health, administration and Barbadians who have no choice but to seek care at the facility?
When a calypsonian dedicates an entire social commentary about his trials in the A&E of our main hospital, the situation has reached a critical stage.
• What is the plan to bring increasing gang killings and gun violence under control?
An armoured vehicle to protect law enforcers may be a needed tool, but we suspect that this has not and will not put the fear of God into those involved in the spate of shootings and murders.
What Barbadians want to know is that there is a comprehensive and effective plan to tackle this scourge that is paralysing some urban communities. Across the region, crime has become a social and economic issue for which people are calling for a sustainable response that does not begin and end with law enforcers.
Safety and security, cost of living, education, and personal freedoms are touch points for administrations around the world, and we expect it will not be much different here in Barbados.
The post A new year but old questions remain appeared first on Barbados Today.
