WATCH: Saint Lucia Health & Security Levy To Generate XCD 33 Million In New Revenue

I hope the retails do comply and reduce their prices. Let’s see how this plays out and how well the administration does in ensuring compliance.

Health levy to pay for medical care. Medical is needed because people are unhealthy. People are unhealthy in most instances because of lifestyle choices. Lifestyle choices such as alcohol consumption, lack of exercise, poor diet like KFC and fried chicken. Peep is taxing those who make good lifestyle choices to take care of those who make bad lifestyle choices. This is communism at its finest. And this commie POS has to be ousted immediately.

Ya’ll ain’t creating no job’s but only taxing people we the youths must protest against this crap where is our future BBC BBC BBC

What is the rate for the health and security levy? This is a significant omission. Providing it’s fair, a security levy is a great initiative. This should permit the government to purchase equipment and needed infrastructure. For starters, customs need professional scanners…not the handheld crap. An annex, or new structure could be in the works to supplement Bordelais complex. Great move Pierre; I have advocated for such a small tax over the years. Next, is closing the gate on bailing gunslingers. The incompetence, of Duh Security Guy, who previously held the post, is showing.

In case we are slow to comprehend: levy = tax. So we are paying additional taxes proportedly to cover health care and security. And what value are we going to see for this increases expendature? None. Can we get out money back if there is no improvement in the current abysmal levels of security and health care. Don’t bother answer. We foolish people will accept anything said nowadays without question.

Poule Foo, St. Lucia is already the most taxed country in the OECS. If all those taxes already collected cannot give us better infrastructure and living conditions than the other islands you think collecting more will make a difference? This is management of the country’s coffers by successive governments.

We the people have to take a stand against this injustices being done to us with this additional levy on us. We have no jobs, the little that we have are paying us peanut and you want us to pay more tax/levy. Any you want to take out VAT from building material for 2 years to accommodate you all friend Reno who’s getting all the little construction job. We are not fools and we have to take a stand against this crap. The man had the gull to say they are putting a package together for people who are 80 years and over, how dare you SLP, you need to resign and get someone else who can do the job.

@Economist. I wrotep that there was an omission in the levy rate. I also made a mental note that they avoided using the word “tax.” The abysmal quality of healthcare and security cannot be met by existing taxes. Pierre had an option of adopting the levy for a precise period of time, like is done in many American counties and townships. It is then discarded at the end of term, whether or not the objective is attained. That is always a preferable option for citizens who feel that they are burdened with taxes. We can’t travel our present “merry way” because tourism will unravel before our very eyes due to crime. I wish they had stated the tax rate. Everything seems to be done with deception.

I can barely afford food due to high taxes by the st lucia government past and present. you all now talking about another tax so that politicians can simply steal more and engage in more corruption! where have all this tax money from grocery bills gone? roads not being fixed! the poor not being supported. st judes not built after 20 years. victoria hospital is in shambles! where is the tax going too? in a proper functioning country when i pay tax, the garbage will be collected, the roads maintained, my elctricity always on and the internet. politicians are investigated and face jail time. but why the heck do i pay taxes in st lucia? for who? just for you all to take government money to run women and buy land rover? ti way chou zot lah!!

Any additional tax levied in an inflationary recessionary environment will lead to citizens being poorer. Less disposable income fueling more recession. Don’t buy the hype there is economic growth. That’s pure BS.

On Tuesday, April 25, during his second Budget Address, Prime Minister Pierre announced his administration’s decision to introduce a 2.5% Health and Security Levy effective July 1.

Here you go crazy fowl. That is on top of income tax AND VAT and customs duties.

How can you tax a largely non working population ? I will tell you how. You see all those millions in IMF and World Bank money that the population never saw a cent of, this needs to be paid back. We the st lucian public lost all those millions to politicians both in SLP and UWP. now hopefully the layman in St lucia now understand why we have to hold politicians accountable. Public servants do not steal money. government officials do. I know cause I saw them in action up close and personal. Signing things here and there, contracts going to whatever, while they put friends in position in that very public service who will help them do their dirty work! St lucia have no social services, if you broke and homeless, you have to depend on yourself or friends and family. So tell me again, over the years, what has happened to the hundreds of millions that is borrowed by the government of st lucia both red and yellow? We need to ask: what has those hundreds of millions done for us as St lucians? nothing. next, Where is all the money they collecting from passport sales overseas? Shouldn’t that money be used to pay health levy for 180000 people? Or is the money going into one big lucian pocket that cook up the scheme? Better read and understand St lucians. it is us that pay the price for corruption in the government. they need to pay back the millions they take, they hike up grocery price, so we all must eat and suffer with high cost just because government red and yellow go on a spending spree to fill their pockets. now we are told another tax coming!

So called poor ppl , get ready to pay more tax without a job and hurry up run to the building hardware to purchase buildings materials.
I think I will wait until the minister for Castries south east delivers the second batch of plywood which he promised two years ago . I am waiting patiently hope I was not fooled.

Remember back when the other set reduced VAT from 15 to 12.5 percent and this lot had a problem with that? Well this 2.5 percent in additional taxes is their way now of effectively pushing VAT back to 15 percent. Not hard at all to do the math. Add to this the boboll monies from the passport price hike after the halving of its period of validity from 10 to 5 minus years.
So instead of valued solutions to combat poor health care and crime, let us make people pay more by using these hot topics as a tax label. Mr PM the economist, who you fooling?
We Lucians stupid eh?

We deserve the government we get, so what is all the concern now. This 2.5% levy which is a tax is the return to 15% VAT. Don’t be fooled by the antics. Saying it in English and Creole didn’t make it difference. A spade by another name is still a spade, so be it health or security, carnival or baccannal, levy or tax, our VAT is going back to 15% on July 1st.

@Economist. The rate is too, too high. I was thinking a fraction of a percent. These people don’t get it. There is a serious problem with the average household making ends meet. This is just going to drive prices upwards even more.

This is more than 2.5%. You will have to pay the 12.% VAT on that 2.5% levy as well as VAT is the final tax added when all others are calculated.

Raised VAT on the average struggling Lucian to make $33million but how much are you losing by giving VAT breaks on construction items to Rayneau and company?