The Member of Parliament for St. Barnabas, the Hon. Shanendon Cartwright raised concerns in the House Of Assembly on Monday about the methods being used by the Revenue Enhancement Task Force as they carry out their duties. Footage of the team entering the CBS Bahamas store in the Southwest Plaza heavily armed and dressed in fatigues was recently released on social media and widely circulated.

Cartwright said, “to see armed personnel, heavily armed personnel, coming into businesses, Madam Speaker. It is a real problem in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. It sends a bad signal to entrepreneurs in this country and people who want to get involved with business and there has to be a better way, Madam Speaker, other than having four, five and six armed guards coming into a business. When you think about the impact of that.”

Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, the Hon. Philip Davis responded to Cartwright’s comments saying the issue will be addressed. “We didn’t expect to see scenes as we have seen that gone around in the viral. Men going into businesses unless it is necessary, escalation of issues that might apply. And in some instances the advice I was given is that the armed person is present because they were collecting cash as well from some establishments and they were there for the purpose of protecting the cash but its spilled over into other areas. And so there will be a demarcation where they’re collecting cash and they need security for the cash or where they’re just going to make inquiries about compliance and those demarcations are now being implemented. So we don’t expect to see that, unless as I said, its in circumstances where cash is being collected from a business establishment and or in cases where there’s some escalation of issue between the inquirers and the business places. There is a better way and the better way will be employed.”

The Maritime Revenue Enhancement Task Force is chaired by Bertram Bowleg.

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