“ The domestic private sector, I don’t think the government owes them more than 10 million dollars”.
The above from Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves while speaking on Boom Fm on Tuesday morning 10th January 2017.
Gonsalves, however, revealed that taxes owed to the government by the local private sector is over 220 million dollars.
The issue of monies due to local businesses was a major talking point during the last two election campaigns by the Opposition.
They stated at the time that Government owed close to 70 million dollars to the business community; the Opposition ha also noted the outstanding sum was one of the main reasons jobs could not be created as it should by the private sector.
Gonsalves further stated that “one of the things in St Vincent is that people talk what government owe them but not what they owe government “.
Gonsalves told the radio host that he has to look at the larger picture, that of revenue and expenditure, added to that is the state obligation of people who owes the Government.
“ The recurrent budget on health in St Vincent that is to say pay salaries and purchase medication is 60 plus million dollars, around 12 percent of the recurrent budget, if you try to collect 5 dollars for tablets which are worth 150 dollars, people say Ralph wicked”.
