Petition On Duty Delivered To Premier
A hard copy of the e-petition “Bermudians and Residents for No Duty Increase” was given to Premier and Finance Minister Paula Cox this morning [Feb.14], containing almost 3,400 signatures.
The cover letter [PDF here] said, “Please find attached a petition on behalf of Bermudians and Residents for No Duty Increase. With over 3,400 individuals signing this petition, we the people of Bermuda urge the Government to hear our voices and not to increase duty on personal imports.
“We further urge you to read the comments on the back of this petition, which are over 98% against any increase in the current duty structure.
“Duty increases will hurt Bermudians and residents, remove our right for free choice, injure businesses, lower business volume and activity and lead to layoffs and business closures. It will lessen competition and lead to increase prices in Bermuda and consequently increased inflation.
“On behalf of all Bermudians and Residents on our island, please accept this petition that represents a large cross section of our population, urgently appealing to the Government not to increase duty on personal imports.”
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Now lets see if she actually listens … I have my doubts
As much as I hate this duty increase… I am finding it hard to understand how the increase injure businesses? The point of the increase is to make Bermudians buy items from Bermuda and not from abroad. Which will in fact help Bermuda businesses. Do not get me wrong…. I hate this increase because I love paying a third of what I would pay for things in Bermuda. But I think businesses are being hurt more by us buying abroad and not from them.
I agree that businesses in Bermuda are suffering. Alot of it has to do with the fact that they do not bring in products that the people of Bermuda want or need. By chance if they do, they charge exorbitant prices for them. If the duty is increased for personal imports this will allow the local retailers to charge even higher prices.
Compare the price of an item that you see in a store here to something you find abroad, most times it will cost double if not more.
Retailers need to be more realistic and innovative in their product selection and pricing.
Actually I will tell you how this will injure businesses. Many people bring in products simply because they are not carried here. So that means they will have to pay more for the products not found here and will have absolutely no money to put back into our economy. Not to mention, if this goes through it WILL cause consumer backlash which is something no smart businesses should ever want. People will blame the local retailers for starting all this trouble and will not purchase from their stores. Does this make sense? You can only s%it on the common man for so long before he takes he business elsewhere or simply refuses to buy.
I just cannot understand nor comprehand why we as Bermudian tax payers are being held hostage to the very poor decisions she made a Ewart Brown’s pansy! She is the reason why the island is in the state that we are in! She as the Finance Minister during his reign signed off on ALL piss-poor decisions.
Paula Cox is currently getting 2 salaries: Premier and Finance Minister! WTH! Paula Cox wants us, the hard working tax payers to be taxed because she was incompentent. She could not stand up to EB and say no! Bermuda is in the worse state that we have ever been in and until she takes ownership of the poor decisions she made, we will forever be a pebble in a shoe to her!
If she wants to do better, than leave! She wants Bermuda to rise up, leave! Vacate your position!
Get your facts straight! The Premier gets one salary. All you have to do is go on the government website to find out. Be informed before you post incorrect information.
ok just out of interest i went to investigate this as “all you have to do is go on the government website to find out”. it would appear to me that her salary is dictate by the roleS she holds. so she may get one payment but it more than one job and calculated as such. thats from the budget(on the gov web page) so maybe you have another source you can quote?
Sorry you are wrong the premier in fact takes home 2 salaries, one for being premier and the other for being finance minister:
http://bernews.com/2011/05/salaries-what-exactly-do-politicians-make/
On the government website they list it as one to shield the actual break down of her earnings.
I believe Sinking is another sad PLP aka Paula Cox aka cog in the wheel supporter!
With all of the hype the Govt is making with regards to people not buying Bermuda, my question to them is…. Where do I (as an almost 50 year old of very small build) do my shopping. There is NOT ONE store on the island that sell size 28 or 29 waist pants. I was even told by one of our major stores in town that “it looks like you’ll have to buy 32 waist pants” (which was the smallest they carried. See if I ever go there again…. If I go into the childrens section, I may get lucky on the waist size but then the leg length is 3/4 up my leg. I will gladly buy an airline ticket from now on and at least enjoy myself as I am shopping for a larger variety of items at a cheaper price.
Firstly I need to state the obvious Businesses have been ripping us of for years with their mark up and people finally have options therefore the decline in buy Bermuda has increased. I will NOT but BERMUDA until the Govt. has the gumption to STAND UP to this GREED IMPOSED shopping Locals HAD been forced to purchase! Why should I buy any electronic, article of clothing or household item for 3 times and more higher than what I can acquire it (for with duty and wharfage fees) for a price with in my budget?? WHY WOULD I BUY IT HERE??
GREED is what has KILLED this tiny island I call home and UNTIL WE ADDRESS this people will find the best economic way to obtain goods they desire!!
Here’s the thing though: Bermudians shopping overseas either by importing through the airport or ordering online, isn’t a new phenomenon.
What’s REALLY messed up the retail industry is the dramatic decline in IB staff and tourists. It’s only now that we’re realizing just how much those two demographics propped up the local retail sector. With more or more Bermudians either penny-pinching or losing their jobs, these merchants are now hurting in a major way. The way to turn this around is not by raising taxes on an already over-burdened taxpayer.
Bermuda needs to attract IB and Tourism back to levels that can sustain our infrastructure. Some people do not understand that we are a totally service-driven economy; we produce nothing that can sustain us and we are completely reliant on outside forces.
@Death to party politics: You might be right, I can’t even leave a comment.
agreed
Are you surprised that they are double? As a business person I pay for very high wages (compare to the US), vacaction pay, sick days, health insurance, contribute 5% to my employees pension, social insurance, payroll tax, training overseas, trucks, rent, electricity, advertising, mail, servers and computer equipment, tech expert charges, fuel and insurance for the truck and so on. On top of that I have to pay 22.25% to 33.5% import duty on eveything I import. Then there is an additional 1.25% in wharfage, clearance fees, THF fees, fuel surcharges and all sorts of foreign currency exchange, wire fees, long distance phone / or email and so on. We do not have the purchasing power of a Walmart or Amazon and when something is damaged in transit or breaks we must absorb the loss. The costs to ship back for warranty are not worth it as they often exceed the value of the goods. As a business person in Bermuda I am often asked to donate money or prizes to charities and sponsor local events which I do often. I am often approached to sponsor sports events and teams which I have done many times over the years. Please note that I am not attacking your statement, I understand 100% that you must find it difficult to by locally sometimes. I only ask the public to try and understand that we take a look at the local prices and within reason try and be a bit more understanding of why they are that high.
Without knowing what you or anyone else on this blog does for a living I would ask that we all ask ourselves this question. Are you making the same per hour (net pay)that someone in the same position in the US? Chances are that 99% of us (if honest) would respond by saying that they enjoy making 2 times what someone in the US is making for the same job plus many more perks. Why is it then that we are so surprised that the items we import and sell must sell for 2 times more.
This is just the tip of the iceberg that will become necessary to address the operating deficit and debt.
As LV once said on another thread, Jamaica once limited it’s people to taking $50US out of the island, if true, we are on that same path. Just happening a lot faster.
I was so harassed at Customs – for 25$ of duty …. SOMEONE TELL ME WHY THEY ARE WORRIED ABOUT TOOTHPASTE AND SHAMPOO NOT GUNS AND DRUGS!?!?!?!
AND I WOULD RATHER PAY THE DUTY THAN BUY BERMUDA AND ID RATHER POKE MY EYES OUT THAN BE SUBJECT TO THE GOD AWFUL CUSTOMER SERVICE ON THIS ISLAND.