Free National Movement (FNM) Chairman Darron Cash said yesterday the government has failed to properly educate the public on value-added tax (VAT) and it should "put the brakes" on its implementation.
"The failing VAT rollout has revealed critical weaknesses in the Christie administration's finance team and with each passing day confidence declines further," Cash said in a statement.
"What is increasingly clear is that the finance team, from the minister of finance down, is simply not up to the task of governing this country's fiscal affairs.
"Regrettably, Prime Minister [Perry] Christie is the last to face this reality. Consequently, the county is suffering because of this glaring lack of leadership."
Cash previously told The Nassau Guardian that while the FNM is still unable to embrace VAT, the party is prepared to assist the government in making a case to the Bahamian people to settle the country's debt.
However, in his statement, Cash said the prime minister's attitude toward the private sector has been poor.
"There is growing public evidence that Mr. Christie's approach has been a failure thus far, due mainly to the fact that his approach to relations with the private sector has been to keep them on a short leash with the promise of consultation while simply ignoring them and what they say," he said.
He continued: "The FNM hopes that Prime Minister Christie will stop talking and start listening.
"He must start by making a definitive statement to put the brakes on this impending July 1, 2014 VAT train wreck."
Over the last few months, several government officials have highlighted the country's burgeoning debt problem.
The government plans to implement VAT at a rate of 15 percent on July 1, 2014. The government has said the new tax will reduce the gap between revenue and expenditure and offset rising public debt.
VAT is expected to add an additional $200 million in revenue in the first year of implementation, officials estimate.
Christie has said the government may consider delaying the implementation of VAT.
He also said the government intends to bring New Zealand experts on VAT to The Bahamas as early as January and will ramp up its public education campaign next year.

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