United Progressive Party (UPP) candidate for St. John’s Rural East Ashworth Azille says he is exploring a temporary reduction in the Antigua and Barbuda Sales Tax (ABST) as a way to ease the cost-of-living burden on households, while stressing that the idea is not yet an official party policy.
Speaking during a “Know Your Candidates” interview, Azille said there is “great appetite” for measures that would provide immediate relief to consumers, including a possible six-month reduction of the ABST rate from 17% to 10%.
“Six months… would be useful so that we bring some relief to homeowners when they get to the supermarkets,” Azille said, adding that families are struggling to keep up with rising prices for basic goods.
He made clear, however, that the proposal remains under consideration and has not been formally adopted by the UPP or fully costed.
“This is not a promise that I’m making. I’m using this as a point of exploration,” he said, noting that discussions are ongoing within the party and with stakeholders.
Azille framed the idea as part of a broader effort to provide sustained relief rather than short-term measures, pointing to recent limited tax-free shopping days as insufficient.
“One-off, sporadic reduction or removal of the ABST may not necessarily serve the purpose… we want to provide long-term relief,” he said.
The candidate argued that government has room to adjust its fiscal approach, including tightening spending and reassessing tax waivers granted to investors, to offset potential revenue losses.
“Very often government asks our citizens to tighten their belts… but when does the government actually make a sacrifice on behalf of the very people that it is asked to serve?” Azille said.
Pressed on whether such a reduction could significantly affect government revenues, particularly amid global inflationary pressures and fuel costs, Azille acknowledged the need for careful analysis but maintained the idea is being responsibly developed.
“We are not being reckless… there is a broad-based policy team that has been working on these proposals,” he said, adding that a detailed cost-benefit breakdown would be provided.
He also suggested that inefficiencies and waste in public spending could be addressed to help balance the fiscal impact of relief measures.
Azille’s proposal comes as cost-of-living concerns remain a central issue in the April 30 general election campaign, with candidates from both major parties outlining competing approaches to provide relief to consumers.
The UPP candidate said his engagement with constituents has underscored the urgency of action, but reiterated that any final policy decision would be based on detailed financial assessment.
“I do not want persons to walk away… thinking that the United Progressive Party has made a determination to reduce the ABST from 17 to 10%,” he said.