Business council says VAT consultation is a sham

New Turks and Caicos organisation says the accepted rules of governance have been ignored.

PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos, Wednesday July 04, 2012 – The newly formed Turks and Caicos Independent Business Council (TCIBC) has reacted strongly to a news release entitled “VAT White Paper Update” issued by Turks and Caicos Islands government spokesman Neil Smith.
 
The TCIBC said it is appalled at the “gross inaccuracies” and “wildly misleading information” contained in the release.

TCIBC chairman Clive Stanbrook QC said: "There were no consultations as to whether VAT should be implemented and certainly nothing that could be said to comply with the British government’s own guidelines for consultations.

“Even where there were consultations on the implementation, the questions posed by some of the groups were not answered properly or at all.

“The accepted rules of governance have been ignored. The consultative bodies that they themselves have set up have been treated as a mere rubber stamp. They have been given less than two weeks to consider and assess complex legislation of a type that will have a profound impact on the economy of the Islands.

“To make matters worse, in this crucial period the Governor is taking a holiday.

“The interim government's claim to have consulted the people of the Turks and Caicos is a complete sham and provides no respectability for rushing through important legislation for the restructuring of taxation in the TCI against the wishes of almost everyone in the community," Stanbrook said. Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)