Lovell calls for four consecutive weekends of 5% ABST, saying it will provide relief for residents and stimulus for businesses

A call is being made by the United Progressive Party (UPP) for residents to be better treated this Christmas season by adding more reduced-ABST weekends.

Political Leader Harold Lovell is recommending that there should be four tax-reductions weekends, starting this Friday and running into January 2023.

He made the call during a press conference on Tuesday, December 13, challenging the Gaston Browne Administration to provide relief to citizens and residents and a stimulus to the economy of Antigua and Barbuda.

Last Wednesday, December 7, Cabinet took the decision to offer only one reduced-ABST weekend this year – from Friday, December 16 at 12 a.m. to Sunday, December 18, at 11:59 p.m. – rather than the two weekends offered in the past.

The customary ABST rate of 15 percent will be reduced to 5 percent for that period.

However, taking into account that many families are still struggling and no stimulus was offered during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lovell says the Government should use this opportunity to make up for that lack.

According to him, the activity over four weekends will spur economic growth to some degree.

The reduced-ABST weekend was an initiative of the UPP, introduced during the World Economic Crisis when many businesses and families were struggling financially.