Criticism Of Barbados Budget Continues

by Amanda Banks, Tax-News.com, London

25 October 2002

Barbados Opposition leader, David Thompson continued his tirade against Prime Minister, Owen Arthur's latest budget on Wednesday, according to the Barbados Nation News.

Commenting immediately after the Prime Minister presented his Finance Statement and Budgetary Proposals, Mr Thompson had suggested that it amounted to 'a package of sweet sounding nothings calculated to maintain the social and economic status quo of the country.'

Giving his official response in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, the Opposition Leader continued in this vein, slamming the Prime Minister for delaying long awaited tax reforms.

'People need help now, not talk, not promises about the year 2004,' he stated, continuing: 'There was no correlation between what the Minister of Finance said he wanted to achieve and the measures outlined to achieve them.'

He then went on to accuse the government of mismanaging the economy, suggesting that this was why Mr Arthur had no 'elbow room' to give more tax relief.

Mr Thompson's concerns echo those expressed by Democratic Labour Party leader, Clyde Mascoll, who accused the Prime Minister of having put together a 'Star Trek' or 'futuristic' budget:

'It (the Finance Statement) does not address the immediate problems in the Barbados economy. It does not address excessive taxation, the competitiveness or lack of competitiveness in tourism, manufacturing, and other sectors,' Senator Mascoll argued on Tuesday.

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