Public awareness of VAT needed

Co-ordinator of the local VAT Unit, Alma Dougan has called on media practitioners to help widen the knowledge base of Vincentians on the implementation of the Value-added Tax (VAT) system.

Last Thursday local journalists attended the first in a series of consultations on the Value-added system.{{more}}

Dougan, who has been charged with the responsibility of paving the way for implementation of the system here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, highlighted to journalists the need for heightened public awareness of the tax reform process.

“We have identified media professionals as our first target group, because the media interacts with the public on a daily basis. This is a national issue that will affect each and every one of us, we need the media to spread the information and put this on their agenda,” Dougan said.

According to the VAT Co-ordinator, a series of public education campaigns will be used to inform the tax-paying public about VAT, and more importantly to win their support.

With the help of the media, Dougan noted, persons will be more reliably informed on the implementation of the value-added system before January next year.