Prime Minister Philip Davis’s Remarks at A Visit to Supervalue to Mark Day One of Zero VAT

Good evening, everyone. It is good to be right here on Wulff Road, inside Supervalue, on a very good day for Bahamian families.

Today is April 1st. And as of this morning, every Bahamian who walked into this store – or any store across this country – paid zero VAT on the unprepared food they brought home to their families. Zero.

Not a reduced rate. Zero.

That is not a promise. That is a receipt. You can see it right here – zero percent VAT. 

Real savings, today, for real families.

I want to thank Debra Symonette, President of Supervalue, and Clifton Fernander, the manager of this store, for their partnership. 

This is how it should work – the government creates the policy, and the private sector steps up to make sure the savings reach the people. 

I met with the Bahamas Retail Association, and our retailers committed to working with us so that you, the Bahamian consumer, save more of what you spend. 

And today, you can see they are keeping that commitment.

Now, I know the cost of living goes beyond the grocery store. 

We understand that. 

That’s why we raised the minimum wage by 24 percent. 

That’s why we eliminated import duties on dozens of food categories.

That’s why we launched a National School Breakfast Programme that has served over one million free meals to our children. 

And that’s why we are pursuing the most comprehensive energy reform in our history – nationwide solar, grid modernisation – because the long-term answer to high energy costs is

to stop depending on imported fossil fuel.

We know gas prices are high. 

Let me be frank with you – fuel prices at the pump are driven by the global oil market. And when there are shocks in global supply, every country feels it. 

No Bahamian government controls the world price of oil. But what we can control, we are acting on. And today is proof of that.

The last government raised your VAT by 60 percent. 

They never raised the minimum wage. 

They never removed VAT on food. 

They told you to figure it out. 

We chose differently. We chose to stand with you.

This is what Choose Progress looks like. 

Not from behind a desk. Right here, on Wulff Road, at the checkout line, where it counts. 

Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.