The main opposition the New Democratic Party (NDP) says that families in St. Vincent and the Grenadines need a tax holiday to cope with the high cost of living as children prepare to go back to school.
The NDP via an official release called for the implementation of a broad-based policy on transportation, alongside a tax holiday to ease the burden on parents ahead of the new school term.
The opposition said that inflation had been at its highest in fourteen years, criticizing the Government for what they consider to be a failure to take action on the rising cost of living.
President of the New Democratic Party Dr. Godwin Friday repeated his call for a five point action plan to tackle cost of living in SVG, ahead of the reopening of schools. The NDP’s plan includes:
- Reducing Value Added Tax (VAT) from 16% to 13%
- Reducing the Customs Service Charge
- Increasing support for lower income families
- Reducing the impact of the fuel surcharge on VINLEC bills
- And an immediate review of VAT items with a view to increasing the number of zero-rated items.
Children across St. Vincent and the Grenadines are set to return to school on Monday 4th September, 2023.
