OBA’s De Couto On Govt CARICOM Responses
The OBA “submitted a set of Parliamentary Questions seeking further information about how Government has approached its CARICOM decision-making process” and the “Government chose not to provide any meaningful information,” OBA MP Dr. Douglas De Couto said.
Dr De Couto — who is the Shadow Finance Minister — said, “Today in Parliament, the One Bermuda Alliance submitted a set of Parliamentary Questions seeking further information about how Government has approached its CARICOM decision-making process.
“On behalf of the Bermudian public, we were hoping for answers to a variety of topics that have not been explained well, or even at all, by the “Green Paper” and the town halls. Unfortunately for Bermudians, the Government chose not to provide any meaningful information.
“Given the importance of international business to Bermuda’s economy, and the role of Bermuda’s international reputation in supporting that international business, we asked if Government has made a risk assessment to that reputation and industry from joining CARICOM as a full member. Their answer: “see the Green Paper”.
“We asked Government which finance and international business stakeholders they have consulted, and what concerns were raised. Their answer: “See the Green Paper”.
“We asked Government if they have assessed the impact of full CARICOM membership on Bermuda’s existing international businesses and finance relationships. Their answer: “see the Green Paper”.
“Most people who have read the Green Paper and attended the town halls know that none of these questions were addressed.
“Bermudians should know the answers to these questions because most of Bermuda’s economic activity [as measured by Gross Domestic Product, or GDP] is driven by international business. Most of Government’s income comes from the Corporate Income Tax [CIT] on international businesses and payroll tax on their employees.
“This income is critical for funding basic services for Bermudians, like fixing roads, paying public officers, and supporting healthcare. On top of all that, Bermuda is relying on the CIT to start to pay down our $3.3 billion national debt, which costs us $125 million per year in interest payments alone.
“Bermudians should ask Government, why haven’t you thought about the risk of becoming a full member of CARICOM to international business, our country’s main source of funding? And if you have, why can’t you share that with all of us?”
Tell us your plan. This is not a ping pong game but you have made it one. Because of this continued nature of politics to go back and forwards the country really suffers and can’t move forward ignore the Govt and work on your own plan or lose again.
No, it is not a game but the PLP treats politics as if it is some sort of game.
The OBA, and others, have asked many valid questions which the promoters of Caricom have tried time after time to deflect. If this is such a great thing for Bermuda, why the deflections, why the silence to straight forward questions to which there should be straight forward answers.
What and why are the PLP trying to hide? Do they not know themselves? Has Caricom sold them a ‘package of goods’ that the PLP has little understanding of? A very real possibility. All Burt and cohorts see is taxpayer funded junkets to the islands.
What does Bermuda really benefit from Caricom that is not being done already without Caricom involvement at all? So far the answer from the PLP has been a huge ZERO, besides the bill which will actually be more like the original $2.8M mark by the time all of the trips are added and, of course, a Bermuda office doing nothing somewhere.
No matter how you look at it Caricom is a scam. A bunch of politicians sitting around doing what the PLP loves to do best. Talk. Talk, talk, talk. Don’t produce results, just talk.