Necessity of VAT in St.Lucia - Part 1

First of all, what is Value Added Tax (VAT)? 

'VAT  is a general consumption tax assessed on the value added to goods and services.It is a general tax that applies, in principle, to all commercial activities involving the production and distribution of goods and the provision of services. It is a consumption tax because it is borne ultimately by the final consumer.It is not a charge on companies. It is charged as a percentage of price, which means that the actual tax burden is visible at each stage in the production and distribution chain.'

The government of St.Lucia has announced that VAT will take effect 1st of September 2012. What does this means to the government of St.Lucia and the People as a whole? 


Let us explore the advantages of VAT in St.Lucia:


1. Revenue Security - VAT helps create a stable source and increase of revenue for the country.This helps the government to fund  more expenditures and decrease budget deficits.


2.Improve indirect tax compliance rate.


3. A more efficient tax system - VAT helps widen the tax base by bringing all transactions in the tax net. Specifically,it gives the government the opportunity to bring back into the tax system all those persons and entities who were given tax exemption from the previous government administrations.


4. There will be a Zero rated policy on certain goods and services. This means that we, as consumers will not be paying any taxes on certain goods. According to Dr. Kenny Anthony(Prime Minister),'......a basket of goods will escape the VAT tax....... and that the government will not impose VAT on water and electricity at this time.'

Dr. Kenny Anthony further added that 'the big issue for government is to protect the poor and vulnerable, particularly at this time, as we are going through a period of economic difficulty, economic crisis and economic adjustment.'


5. Certainly, a more transparent and accurate system of taxation.

Featuring Masha Edwards

I am sure we have all heard of the famous saying 'never judge a book by its cover,' but what does this saying means to you?

Imagine walking into a room of strangers, You will automatically presume certain aspects about persons according to their occupation, character, and life based on just appearance.  Prior to any spoken words or any exchange of words, persons are judged or grouped according to your preconceptions which will inevitably alter the way you behave towards them. I can vividly remember  my very first lecturing experience  at SALCC where one of my students made a comment while entering into the class on the very first day. Those were her words, "DATS OUR TEACHER, SHE IS SO YOUNG'....I quickly ignored this statement and proceeded with my lecture. Again, judgement based on just appearance. Am I too young to teach at a college? Do I have to look a certain way for persons to recognize my teaching abilities and place me in the 'one of the good teacher' category?  I don't think so. Education empowers you. Education is important, it is the first step to upward mobility. Anyway, she turned out to be one of my best students.

Our society is the supporting pillar of such MADNESS. Take marketing for example, it's all about packaging and promotion. Marketers who sells hair products, bleaching creams, designer shoes, bags, clothes, accessories, hair extensions, nail extensions  etc are all promoters of appearance. Our inability to individualize persons by just appearance is a weakness we must not dismiss. There will always be natural differences among people - their skills, talents capacities and capabilities. I remembered my cousin wanting to enroll her daughter at a preschool in the city (north) rather than the town (south-where she lives) because her partner (being from the city) does not want his child to be speaking like persons from the towns and villages. Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.............May I remind you that St.Lucia is only 238sq miles.

Everyone should take a brief moment to see the loving personality in  a person. We are all beautiful in our own way. God created each of us with unique gifts of body and mind. So, the next time you walk into a room of strangers, think about what  is the significance of  a Gucci bag, a designer shoe,  a hairstyle, too much or too little make-up, long hair, straight hair, coily hair, short hair, no hair, light skinned, dark skinned, brown skinned, indian, white, asian etc.  in our superficial expectations.


True beauty lies deep within', this statement  brings us to the pinnacle of this post - Featuring Masha Edwards, a beautiful person on the inside out, an ambitious , talented and God fearing woman . She too, has embraced her natural and curly locks.

Masha's Coily, Curly ,Kinky Look - to achieve this look wet hair and then add lock and twist gel.

Rocking my very own Coily, Kinky Twist------

Easter! What does Easter means to you? Do you think Easter is celebrated the right way by drinking alcohol , partying and having a jolly good time? It's amazing to hear the complaints amoung caribbbean people specifically referring to St.Lucians about having no moneyyy,'tings harddddd mannn,' 'no jobs in de country,' ;but when it comes to drinking alcohol and feting, money is no longer a problem. Where does that money comes from? We tend to believe that Eeaster is a time to party till we drop. Ofcourse it is a time to be happy because Christ paid a very expensive prize to save us sinners. But is it done it the way Christ intended it to be? Anyway, I came across this pic while browsing through my camera and I just could not stop laughing. This was the day I pretended to be pregnant so we could sneak foods that we purchased from Rituals in the cinema. It was so easy for us to convince the staff that I was expecting. Being pregnant has its perks. People treat you so differently. ........But do I look pregnant in this pic? I don't think so......However, the word pregnant get people to be empathetic, overcaring and concerned.........

Coily Hair Vs Straight Hair

Where do I begin? Yesterday was the big day. Oh yes, I did the BIG CHOP. Why?  I was so tired of being one of the many that conforms to the social requirement of having straight hair. After several years of relaxing, weaving and perming my hair. I have decided to embark on a journey. A journey of embracing and appreciating my coily hair. Why do we have to be like everyone, Black women are exotic, interesting and exciting and we have to learn to embrace that...................