Democratic Labour Party candidate for St Michael North West, Ryan Walters, accused the Barbados Labour Party administration of squeezing the pockets of Barbadians through excessive taxation, alleging that the administration has failed to ease the cost‑of‑living burden by not reducing Value Added Tax (VAT) as promised.
Speaking during his first spot meetings in the constituency at St Stephen’s Hill on Wednesday, Walters said government policies since 2018 had reduced workers’ disposable income and worsened the cost of living.
He said: “There is a direct correlation between taxation and the spending power of people in the country. This government in 2018 paraded up and down Barbados telling you that you cannot tax yourself out of a recession. But there is a correlation between how much money you have in your pocket and how you are able to afford to pay your bills and to buy food.”
He accused the Mottley administration of failing to respond meaningfully to rising living costs, while blaming external factors.
“This government has retreated to a position where they are saying that they cannot respond to the high cost of living in this country,” he said. “They want you to believe that because it is a global phenomenon, that there is no response from a responsible government.”
The DLP candidate pointed to the introduction of the Health Services Contribution Levy shortly after the BLP took office as a major blow to workers.
He said: “This government, within weeks of taking office, introduced the Health Services Contribution Levy. What does that mean? It means that every single worker that contributes to the National Insurance Scheme took home less money in their pockets – increasing taxation and reducing the spending power of our workers.”
Walters claimed the levy had generated significant revenue at workers’ expense.
He said: “It is estimated that between 2018 and 2025 the Health Services Contribution Levy introduced by the Barbados Labour Party raised at least $530m. That is $530m out of the pockets of workers in this country that would afford them the opportunity to buy goods, to pay for groceries, to send to school their children and to survive.”
He also criticised the introduction of the garbage and sewage contribution levy, arguing that it further burdened households and small businesses.
“But the government did not stop there in 2018. The government also introduced a garbage and sewage contribution levy. It is estimated at 570 million Barbados dollars, drawn from the hardworking people of this country and the households and small businesses across Barbados,” Walters said.
He further accused the government of breaking its 2018 manifesto promise to reduce VAT, describing it as a missed opportunity to ease pressure on consumers.
“They promised that they would have reduced VAT in the 2018 manifesto. They did not reduce the VAT and the public at large has been asking for ease,” he said.
“In May of 2018 the rate of value added tax was 17.5 per cent. Today, almost eight years after, the rate of VAT is 17.5 per cent in this country,” Walters added.
He argued that a reduction in VAT would bring immediate relief to consumers at the supermarket and in their daily expenses.
“The one promise that could bring relief to you in the supermarket when you buy goods and services in this country, the Barbados Labour Party did not uphold,” he said.
Looking ahead, Walters said a DLP administration would move to reduce VAT.
“The leader of the Democratic Labour Party has already signalled our intention to reduce VAT when we go to office. That is going to bring immediate relief to you so that you can have more spending power,” he told supporters.
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