Bahamians encouraged to join fight to keep Fla. tax exemption:
By INDERIA SAUNDERS,Guardian Staff Reporter -
Nassau, Bahamas:



A hike in prices on goods imported from the Sunshine State may be looming as Florida legislators debate repealing an exemption on the six-percent sales tax directed at foreign importers — a concession that has made Florida the top supplier to Bahamian businesses.

The legislative move may come as early as this year and in the midst of an economic downturn in the state's economy, said Adam Hasner, the Majority Leader in the Florida House of Representatives

He was in Nassau yesterday trying to enlist the help of local businesses in the fight against the Democrat-led initiative.

He fears that if the concession is removed and enough regional importers decide to take their business elsewhere, his state's economy will fall further into what increasingly appears to be recession.

At a Bahamas Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Hasner argued that possible development was something neither Floridians nor Bahamians should welcome.

But many of his colleagues in the state legislature may see lifting the exemption as politically expedient, given it directly affects communities outside of Florida — communities full of people who can't vote in that state.

"Don't tax you, don't tax me, tax the guy behind the tree," said Hasner, suggesting that's the attitude of some lawmakers. "You need to come out from behind the tree with your friends and make it known the tremendous negative impact that it (repealing the exemption) would have not only on Caribbean nations, but the negative impact it would have on Florida businesses."

If that happens, Bahamian importers, wholesalers and retailers would likely have as much as 10 percent tabbed onto the cost of their merchandise, factoring in auxiliary expenses. Still, that's only if they don't take their business elsewhere.

Greg Kelly, general manager of Kelly's Home Center, asserts he'll be one of those Bahamian importers looking outside of the Florida market for his wares if the tax break is broken. He'll likely turn to Georgia for the lumber he'll then turn around and sell to Bahamians.

"Our loyalty is to Kelly's and then to the Bahamian public, not to Florida or any other state," he said Wednesday. "If Florida repeals the sales tax exemption and it makes them uncompetitive, then they'll lose our business . . . we're going to shop wherever we find the product at the best price."

If the six-percent exemption were to be removed, said Chamber head Dionisio D'Aguilar, many people may just opt to suck it up and pay the costs. Still, there are other options, although some Bahamian importers have more of them than others.

"The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce just went on a trade mission to Panama where we found, especially in the clothing sector, it's much cheaper to buy (there) than (in) America," he said. "However, there are a lot of items that you simply cannot but buy from Florida — especially food items and perishable items."

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