SPECULATION is mounting that GST on food will be scrapped.
The Council of Ministers meet on Thursday to discuss their response to huge rises in food and fuel costs.
It is widely expected that their response will be to drop GST on food and to freeze duty on petrol in the coming Budget.
The three per cent GST was levied in May, but since then the rise in prices has hit Islanders hard.
The rise in fuel and light prices over the last 12 months has been 26%, and food costs have risen 13% in the same period.
Whatever ministers decide at their meeting on Thursday, the States are due to debate propositions on GST exemptions at their next sitting on Monday 8 September.
Article posted on 19th August, 2008 - 2.59pm
7 Article Comments
Why not heap muddle on muddle? Tinkering with taxation is sure way to cement the GST fiasco in the annals of Island history. Next we will be into ‘Gordon Brown’ style tax credits.
Roll on the Christmas pantomime.
doubt it. why would the states get rid of a huge source of income for themselves? It doesnt affect them so they wont care
Anybody would think there is an election coming up!! Too little, too late!!
Should the States decide to drop GST on food, it must be assumed that they will ensure that the shops drop their prices to those prior to the introduction of GST.
For example, my favourite sandwich from a well known shop, which used to cost me £2.40 prior to the introduction of GST, escalated to £2.65 (an increase of 10.42%). Now are they going to drop this price 3%, or 10.42%?
I think these shops are going to be laughing all the way to the bank - you do the maths.
Isn’t it strange that the the chief architect of GST is slowly starting to show a more human and humane face towards his previous victims?
Does anyone smell an election coming around? If anyone is convinced that those of our illustrious elected “leaders” are taking GST off food because they have finally listened to the electorate and understand their plight…Well, I have some lovely beach front property in Arizona to sell you!
Do not forget who set this punitive tax on us and who could have rescinded it before now.
Forget it, lets just have the elections and get rid of these mercenaries. They had their chance and showed utter contempt for the average local person.Its shocking to see the elderly root through the ’sell by date’ food at the Co-Op, we are making economic prisoners of these people.
I just hope the public will see through this electioneering scam. Its a shame Le Sueur is not up for re-election but as I have read previously he IS the Gordon Brown of Jersey and is now running scared of Public Opinion!!!
The only way we can get rid of him is by voting out all his cronnies so anything he takes to the States will not get through and if he does stand for Chief Minister he will be utterly embarassed by recording a Eurovision “Nil Points!!!”