Bird fears ABST hike will heighten frustration and anxiety levels in an already tense population

The level of frustration and anxiety that now exists among the
population is troubling, says Sean Bird, the United Progressive Party
(UPP) caretaker for St. John’s Rural East.
 
And he is concerned that this situation might mushroom with the
introduction of a 2 percent increase on the Antigua and Barbuda
Sales Tax (ABST).
 
The Gaston Browne Administration plans on taking the current
ABST rate of 15 percent up to 17 percent, ostensibly to meet a
number of financial obligations, including the remaining 9 percent
pay increase to public servants.
 
Bird says he has seen, firsthand, the impact of the current hardship
on the lives of the poor and the vulnerable.
 
Surprisingly, he adds, the middle and upper classes are suffering,
too, with some persons falling sick due to the strain they are
bearing.
 
According to Bird, residents now have to make decisions on what
purchases are more important in order to stretch their dollar. And
some parents have also opted to pull their children from private
schools so they can make ends meet.
 
As a result, the UPP caretaker says, people are angrier and are
triggered by the simplest things these days.

All these issues could – and already have – had an impact on the
mental health of many residents, Bird notes.
 
For instance, he explains that it can be difficult to make a decision
between food and medicine, since, in many instances, one has to
take medication with a meal.