On Thursday, May 11, 2023, a session entitled, “Future of Overseas Territories Debate in the House of Commons” was initiated by Alicia Kearns MP, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, in the UK Parliament. Notably, “self-determination” was exalted over 20 times in ~2 hours – the first within the first moments, affirming, “…the bedrock” of BOTs is “the right of self-determination”.1
Hoping for Change after Changing of the Guard
Given a new Governor, RAPF Commissioner – and King, will they respect the right of self-determination – and right the wrong of GST? It might be described as “colonialism on steroids” – a term used by MP Daniel Kawczynski in the debate about another BOT where self-determination rights were being “trashed and completely ignored”.1 Sound familiar?
And, will the new guard willingly right the wrongs from willful disregard for other principles proclaimed in that debate? From resilience to financial independence, disaster readiness, and good governance, to name a few?1 Well, here’s a brief look back, as we welcome them and consider our way forward…
Digging a Debt Trap with British Shovels: Buried by GST
One speaker described BOTs as “financially independent” – perhaps unfamiliar with our situation. Sadly, our Governors have helped impoverish our nation by transferring billions in generational wealth from the private to public sector, spent faster than collected, mostly for payroll. How?
With only occasional objections, they “assented” to one unsustainable budget after another, as politicians doubled government spending ? and doubled it again ? for the same population and the same services. Adding boards and departments, they extracted their salaries from evermore requirements, new taxes and fees. Year after year. Loan after loan. Never requiring justification, much less, emergency reserves. It was the perfect set-up to force GST: knocked down by Irma and locked down by Covid. Will the new guard be any different – or equally indifferent?
Humanitarian Humiliation – and Dereliction of Duty
In April 2018, in his last Budget speech, Premier Victor Banks described “bargaining” for aid after Hurricane Irma as, “…untenable in the pursuit or the acceptance of humanitarian aid that it be bound by constraints, tied by conditionalities, not related to correction of any purported human rights abuses, but as a bargaining tool to bring one into line with the agenda of the administering power. The stick and carrot approach is indefensible, where the real casualty of failure to acquiesce is the welfare of children, the sick, an entire country’s rehabilitation following the devastation of a natural disaster. … Despite being in need, it must be a level playing field with mutual respect, where a country is not the underdog. No country should be held to ransom. …it is also not a good look for any country who administers such. …humanitarian support or aid should be just that.”2 Psst. UN, are you listening?
However, his Government failed to take GST – or any new taxes – off the table when elected in 2015. Had they stood firm on spending and debt amortization, Anguilla could have weathered Hurricane Irma without humiliation, or new taxes. But by June 2018, their ExCo minutes cited their 2016 GST assent, with “phases” for: IGT in 2019, Services Tax on hotel accommodation, electricity, communications, and wholesalers in 2021, and all other services by January 2023.3 As if AUF had a “just” way to inflict such injustice – instead of, say, just stop spending?
GST Election – and Betrayal Blamed on the British!
In 2020, 11,951 citizens cast 15,660 district and at-large votes for the Anguilla Progressive Movement (APM), 12,990 for the Anguilla United Front (AUF), and 6,509 for Independents.4 That 20% APM margin was won by promising alternatives to GST – punctuated by that “Yellow Dad” portrayal from the podium. Yet, betrayal rumours roiled. Some claimed the APM was forced to impose GST – with our borders still closed! By December, their 2021 Budget confirmed preparations for: “full Goods and Services Tax (GST)…”5 That betrayal and cruel timing cannot be ignored.
GST Passage: “Colonialism on Steroids”!
In 2021, pretentious consultations left the public pleading for alternatives to fill the annual $22 Million “gap” demanded of them – which could have been offset by a 10% spending cut, and/or adjusting over 100 existing taxes, without pushing people into poverty, crushing civil rights, and threatening tourism. Urgent petitions urged not to read the bill – and later not to sign it. The People were ignored – as were days of Select Committee presentations in the honourable House.
In an unprecedented display of colonial disrespect with respect to laws with major economic and social impact, British appointees, the AG and DG, forced passage by over-riding votes of 2 dissenting members elected by 37% of the electorate. That is “colonialism on steroids”!
Exceeded Expectations – and Doubled Down on Disrespect
The 2023 budget later revealed that existing taxes generated over $25 Million of incremental revenue before GST began at mid-year, on track to double that $22 Million – by merely opening the borders!
GST had cast a pall on commerce, ripped 13% from every table – imposed intrusive audits, and cut gratuities for most making least in service jobs. Betraying another promise to “curb spending” – they took $60 Million more than the $11 Million expected from 6 months of GST.6
After ousting one government for selling out, only to be betrayed by another – and then, despite exceeding the “gap” with existing taxes, GST was forced on us! GST is a colonial atrocity imposed against the will of the People. Period. So much for self-determination!
Will the New Guard Guard – or Disregard – Our Right to Self-Determination?
So. Will the new guard follow the old guard, ignoring restless resentment from colonial injustices so recently visited on the People of Anguilla? Or, will they restore the reputation of their administering power? How? By doing what we begged of Liz Truss, whose disrespect dripped from the ink of her underling’s signature on “her” dismissive reply.
That is: Immediately withdraw assent from the illegitimate GST Act, which would thereby reinstate the existing taxes that exceeded revenue goals upon reopening our borders. That would pay “reparations” of 13% to every family in the nation, put joy back in our hearts – and food back on every table – instead of putting it back at the cashier for want of cash.
Demand repeal of GST – and a balanced budget bill. Now.
This article reflects cultural and economic issues raised on July 5, 2021, at the House Select Committee on GST Public Hearing. 1 https://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/b05ebc74-3359-4f0c-aa60-fe2537962602 (14:01:50sec); 2 http://www.gov.ai/documents/budget/2018%20Budget.pdf, pp. 28-29;3http://www.gov.ai/documents/exco/Smn18-01.pdf;4https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020_Anguillian_general_election; 5GOA Appropriation Act (2021), 2020, Act No. 42/2020, p. 28; 6GOA 2023 Draft Estimates of Recurrent Revenue, Expenditure & Capital.
