Yay! New 20% tax on salty snacks and a $10 daily car rental fee *sarcasm*
Here in Barbados, we just had the annual circus known as the "Budgetary Proposals and Financial Statement", in which the government congratulated itself in the House of Assembly while reminding us just how important they are, all the while making tax and financial announcements that, for some reason, always takes more than 3 hours to go through.
And then, the Leader of the Opposition, pretending so hard to be different, trying so hard to convince us that he doesn't just shit in the same bucket as the governing party, and failing so miserably to show differentiation, spends *10 fucking hours* responding to the budget speech. 😂 All the while, we're witnessing government ministers sitting on their ass in the House of Assembly listening to this moron talk and talk and talk, twiddling their thumbs, using their phones... doing anything but actual work.
You just can't make this shit up. I mean, what is it with Bajans needing to talk, and talk, and talk, and talk, and talk, but not actually fucking doing anything? The whole session could have been over in less than two hours, but not in Barbados! Oh fuck no. That's not the Bajan way! No. We need to listen to the Minister in the Ministry of Finance deliver the budget speech for 3 hours. And then the Leader of the Opposition for 10 hours. And then the Prime Minister for 2 hours. And then other MPs for hours, and hours, and hours...
During the budget speech by Ryan Straughn – oh, I'm sorry, let me put my snobbery on – The HONOURABLE Ryan Straughn M.P. – he made some dumbass comparison between Germany and Barbados. He mentioned the fact that Germany decided to loosen its fiscal rules on defence spending, and apparently "military defence spending is to Germany what the climate crisis is to Barbados – both existential crises". Lol. Of course it is. It's exactly the same thing, isn't it, dumbass? Barbados spending money on climate projects to satisfy the politically manufactured "climate crisis" is exactly the same thing as a country spending money on national defence to protect itself against an actual real threat, like an adversarial foreign state. Some Bajans are so fucking delusional. Like, we're the experts on Europe now? 😂 We don't have Russia on our doorstep, jackass fools.
He announced a 20% Excise Duty on salted snacks, such as Pringles, salted nuts and Ritz. In a vain effort to justify the tax hike, he talked about people needing their legs amputated. Like, how many people have had their legs amputated in Barbados? Sure, the amputation rate is very high in Barbados compared to other countries on a per capita basis, but has anyone ever tried using the thinky-thinky part of their brain to think... hmm, maybe our shit healthcare system is partly to blame for that? I mean, this is the same healthcare system where patients in the A&E department often need to wait over 24 hours or longer just to be seen by someone, meanwhile having to sit and wait on the most uncomfortable seats you've ever seen. Unless you're one of the politicians of course – in which case, you'll be chauffeured in and seen right away.
He also said the government would appeal to hotels and restaurants to remove salt shakers from tables and counters. 😂 Because apparently the government knows what's best for us. We can't be trusted with a salt shaker! We are obviously too dumb for this. Apparently, we all go for the salt shaker before we've even tried the food we're served. I don't know what restaurants Ryan Straughn goes to, but I've never seen anyone preemptively oversalting their food before they even try it first. But never mind. The government always knows best. So, in the future, you might need to wait for a salt shaker to be given to you, while your food goes cold.
Most of our food is imported from the United States, and at a time when we know the United States is imposing reciprocal tariffs on countries that tariff or tax U.S. products, the Barbados government decide to announce a 20% tax on "salty snacks" that are predominantly imported from the United States. What a smart move...
As always, it will be the poorest in Barbados that will suffer the most from this 20% tax. Most things in moderation are OK, and now when a poor Bajan wants to enjoy some Pringles or salted nuts, it'll soon be 20% more expensive. Instead of looking at ways to solve the actual problem with so many Bajans being so fat up – like, the fact a lot of the food is imported from the U.S. and the way Americans produce food is probably a contributor to the obesity epidemic in the Western hemisphere – the government decide to tax the problem instead. I mean, let us be honest here, they wanted to raise taxes and found this as an excuse. 🙄
Equally as dumb as the 20% tax on salty snacks, is the announcement that from July 1st, 2025, all vehicle rentals will be subject to a $10 BBD daily rental tax. They call it a fee, but it's a fucking tax. Without tourism, Barbados got nutt'n. Tourists already have to pay an Airport Service Charge, a Room Rate Levy and now a Vehicle Rental Tax. The government want to bleed tourists dry before they've even reached the fucking hotel room. At this rate, we're going to start losing tourists to other islands, and further afield, if we continue to do this. This government just wants to raid their wallets as soon as they leave the aircraft, and again while they're on island, and one more time just before they leave for good measure. And some how they think a $10 BBD daily Vehicle Rental Tax is OK because the tourists already have to pay upwards of $3,000 BBD to $4,000 BBD a month for a car rental? What's another $300 BBD here and there? Damn snobs. So, they announced the abolition of Visitor Driving Permits, which would amount to a loss of $355,000 BBD for the government. And Ryan Straughn was quick to point out "the savings in time to visitors will be immeasurable". Lol of course. Tourists would rather spend $10 BBD a day than spend just a few minutes of their time to receive the Visitor Driving Permit from the rental company.
So, the government will lose $355,000 BBD a year from the abolition of Visitor Driving Permits, but Ryan Straughn was also quick to mention that the new Vehicle Rental Tax is estimated to bring in $4 million BBD per year. Ah, there we are. They want to raid the visitor's wallets just one more time. The government are resting on their laurels, thinking that visitors will continue to tolerate the constant tax rises because Barbados has a high repeat return rate. No, that's not how it works. Some tourists might choose to spend less, or visit less often, or not visit at all. The only segment of the tourism industry that this does not affect is the wealthy segment, which couldn't give a flying fuck about paying $10 BBD a day.
The government often talk proudly about our long stay visitor numbers. They rent cars for several months at a time, right? I don't think all of them are going to be impressed when they come back next winter and find out their vehicle rental will be at least $300 BBD more expensive each month.
Also, how does the Vehicle Rental Tax apply to future bookings? Imagine coming to Barbados after July to find out your vehicle rental is an extra $10 BBD a day. Lol.
But I'm not done talking about this bullshit Vehicle Rental Tax just yet. The most egregious problem is that this is also a tax on residents. The government are not just fucking with the tourism market. It also applies to Barbadians and residents that rent a vehicle. So, it turns out, we need to pay this bullshit tax as well. Bajans already have to pay for a Barbados Driver's Licence, and an absurd amount of tax on gas/diesel, and now Auntie Mia wants an extra $10 BBD a day off those persons, too.