OBA On Erroneous Card Payment Statement
“The Minister’s outrage expressed at the ‘egregious’ error regarding the release of erroneous information by a civil servant is laudable,” Craig Cannonier said, with the Opposition Leader asking “why wasn’t that same level of outrage displayed when Bermuda found itself landed on the EU blacklist?”
This follows after the Government issued a statement saying they will implement a 1.45% service fee for payments made by debit/credit card at TCD, DPT, Accountant General, Registry General, Health, Public Works and Parks, which Minister of Finance Curtis Dickinson subsequently stated was “incorrect information” adding that “the release was issued without my approval.”
Mr. Cannonier said, “In the 2019 Budget, the Minister of Finance, Curtis Dickinson said, ‘Mr Speaker, over the years the Government has been incurring millions of dollars in credit card charges due to taxpayers using their credit cards to pay their taxes. Effective April 2019, Government will start to recover these fees by way of a recharge fee for this convenience’.
“In his ‘clarification’ to the recent ‘misleading’ press statement issued by the Department of Communication & Information regarding the credit card tax, the Minister is quoted as saying, ‘payroll tax payments are the issue and my intention and the Government’s policy is to recover these fees by way of a recharge fee for this convenience’.
“It appears that the Government is once again retreating from being able to align their actions with their statements.
“The Minister’s outrage expressed at the ‘egregious’ error regarding the release of erroneous information by a civil servant is laudable. However, why wasn’t that same level of outrage displayed when Bermuda found itself landed on the EU blacklist on 12 March 2019?
“In his comments regarding the press statement error, the Minister stated that he would expect that conditions of employment and the code of conduct for the public services would be ‘applied as necessary’.
“This standard must, by default, then also apply to whoever is responsible for jeopardising our hard earned reputation and the financial security of the businesses and residents of Bermuda.”
Mr Cannonier added that with the funding allocated for its communication efforts, one would think the Government “would be able to implement a fail-safe process to approve a press release.”
Mr. Cannonier, you are absolutely right Sir. Indeed, why has this level of outrage not been raised over so many issues? Indeed, indeed, there is little doubt that you Sir, along with Mr. Mark Pettingill and the late Mr. Shaun Crockwell if he were still with us, have demonstrated a profound understanding as to why not.
Hey Trump Cannonier what about the erroneous JET GATE PAYMENT lololol. The OBA will never win under you. Dunkley may not have won the last election but he could run circles around you as a leader. Sad to see that the Opposition believes you are the only hope for survival.
If they run a poll Cannonier vs Nick Kempe to be leader of the OBA………Kemp would win the majority of the votes.
It’s really all you have isn’t it. You’re an old hater.
I would let the “JET GATE PAYMENT” comment go if I were you, RT. It just conjures up Port Royal and Kings Wharf and other missing money issues.
As for the rest, I agree and it is a sad reflection on the people running the OBA.
Well that’s easy enough to answer. The majority of their base is the source for the most noise! If home base can do no wrong, then what noise did you think was going to be made? Now let me crack open this bag of popcorn and watch the masses get insulted with the above truth, and spend the next day getting all bent out of shape over their modus operandi being called out…
I think this is the bit where the PLP get bored with being government as they are only good at complaining and being the opposition ,they have no clue otherwise a bit like Arsenal choking every year at 4th place
Arsenal = 5th place is a trophy now!
This is much ado about nothing. During the budget statement the Minister spoke about taxes being paid with debit and credit cards. Licensing vehicles at TCD etc. does not represent taxes. The Minister has therefore been very consistent with his statements.
MP Cannonier would be well advised not to use the European Listing as a political football.
“Mr. Speaker, over the years the government has been incurring millions of dollars in credit card charges due to taxpayers using their credit cards to pay their taxes. Effective from April 2019, government will start to recover these fees by way of a recharge fee for this convenience.”
He has definitely retreated from that. There is no consistency at all. A press release went out reflecting what he said in the budget, and then he had to retract it a day later.
They want to add 1.25% to our taxes.
“Licensing vehicles at TCD etc. does not represent taxes”
Really? How do you define a “tax”?