VAT! VAT! VAT!
Feb 01, 2017 , http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....7/02/01/vat-vat-vat/
The New Year has brought with it a deluge of taxes on the Guyanese consumers. Those who presumed that the only new taxes which they would have been required to pay in 2017 were VAT on water and electricity above a certain level, have now awoken to find that VAT is now also being instituted on a range of services which were not previously subject to that tax.
Many parents want the best for their children. They save their money and they cut corners in order to afford to send their children to private school in the hope that these children will get a good education.
School fees now attract VAT. This should never be. The government has been stressing the importance of education. They have been calling for every child to be in school. Well that school may soon only be public schools, because private schooling is not cheap and to ask parents to pay VAT on school fees may be asking them too much.
The former government did not place VAT on school fees. It also did not place VAT on medical services.
Right now, the Peeper is afraid to get sick. The Peeper is not going to the public hospital. The waiting time there is too long. The Peeper will get sicker waiting to see a doctor at the public hospital. The Peeper therefore has to seek private medical care. But that is now at an increased cost since VAT is now chargeable on medical services.
Doctors like to send you for all kind of tests these days. Those tests now attract VAT. And if you have to be admitted to the hospital, then is more VAT to be paid.
The Peeper went to his doctor for some advice since his better half seems to be having a hearing problem. The Peeper told the doctor that he needs some free advice since he cannot afford to pay VAT for medical advice. The doctor says that the law is the law; any advice I give you must be paid for. The Peeper said to the doctor, I thought you were only a doctor. I did not know that you were also a lawyer.
Anyway the Peeper decided to ask for the advice. “Doc,” he says, “I think my wife’s going deaf.”
The doctor answers, “Well, here’s something you can try on her to test her hearing. Stand some distance away from her and ask her a question.
If she doesn’t answer, move a little closer and ask again. Keep repeating this until she answers. Then you’ll be able to tell just how hard of hearing she really is.”
The Peeper goes home and tries it out. The Peeper walks in the door and says, “Honey, what’s for dinner?” The Peeper doesn’t hear an answer, so he moves closer to her. “Honey, what’s for dinner?” Still no answer. The Peeper repeats this several times, until he’s standing just a few feet away from her.
Finally, she answers, “For the eleventh time, I said we’re having MEATLOAF!”
Schools fees now attract VAT. This was never the case under the PPP. Education was free in public schools and free of VAT in private schools.
Now you have to pay VAT for private education.
One woman decided that she cannot afford to pay the VAT. So she asked the teacher if instead of doing all the subjects her son can be excluded from doing geography and physical education.
“But why do you want to drop those particular subjects?” enquired the teacher.
“I want him to become a doctor, not a traveler” replied the mom.
The pressure is on. Guyanese need stress relief. Some people unwind by watching TV. Some people like to watch sports on TV but since Bharrat is no longer the President, NCN is not bringing as much international cricket as before. So people are forced to pay for cable television just to be able to relax.
Guess what? From today, the cable companies charging VAT on their fees. Even to relax you now have to pay VAT! Heaven help us here in Guyana!