FORMER PRIME MINISTER Owen Arthur has called on Government to withdraw some of the concessions granted to taxpayers in light of Barbados’ current economic situation.
“We have to take a different view of the incentives that we have given . . . . Remove some of them that I as Minister of Finance brought because of the prevailing circumstances in 1995 which are different from circumstances now,” Arthur told the House of Assembly during Day 2 of debate on the Estimates.
He advocated replacement by incentives that would allow households to take more responsibility for their own welfare.
The Independent St Peter MP declared that some concessions had now “passed their expiry date”.
The former leader of the Opposition Barbados Labour Party also spoke out in defence of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) Government’s imposition of fees for tertiary education and proposals for payment for some health-care costs now borne by Government. (GC)
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