BAHAMIANS WORRIED OVER IMPACT OF STOP TAX HAVEN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NASSAU 000149

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA/CAR

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EFIN BF
SUBJECT: BAHAMIANS WORRIED OVER IMPACT OF STOP TAX HAVEN
ABUSE BILL ON FINANCIAL SECTOR


1. (U) Summary: News concerning the proposed Stop Tax Haven
Abuse bill, which names The Bahamas as one of 34 secrecy
jurisdictions, has generated considerable discussion in local
media and amongst politicians. The financial services sector
makes up 15 percent of the country's GDP and, tourism is down
and unemployment is up. Some predict the collapse of the
entire financial services sector and others say The Bahamas
should aggressively lobby Washington against the bill. The
GCOB is still deciding how it will address the issue, but has
indicated that it already cooperates with the U.S. on
anti-terrorism issues in the financial realm and will not
"overreact" to the situation. End Summary.

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IN THE MEDIA: ALL TAX HAVEN, ALL THE TIME
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2. (U) News about the Stop Tax Haven Abuse bill dominated
local headlines last week, reporting on the negative
financial consequences such a bill would have in The Bahamas.
One paper ran a political cartoon depicting a smiling
President Obama saying "yes we can" while a nervous and
sweating Prime Minister Ingraham wonders if the U.S. will
crack down on tax havens like The Bahamas.


3. (U) The opposition Progressive Liberal Party (PLP),
always in the hunt for an electoral issue, has been vocal in
opposing the proposed Stop Tax Haven Abuse bill. Former
Attorney General Alfred Sears called on the GCOB to
aggressively lobby the USG to stop passage of the bill and
educate policymakers and the public about the "true nature"
of the Bahamian financial industry and their commitment to
fighting terrorism financing. Others say the GCOB should
engage with neighboring countries worried about the bill and
present a united front against the bill to Washington.
Minister of State for Finance Zhivargo Laing told local media
his office is vigilantly monitoring the situation and pledged
that the GCOB will not overreact. Laing appeared hopeful
that the TIEA, which The Bahamas signed in 2002, would serve
as an advantage for the island nation. Laing also noted that
The Bahamas already cooperates fully with the U.S. on
anti-terrorism financing matters, pointing out that the
established
positive working relationship with the U.S. could show
Bahamian bonafides as the tax haven issue is discussed in the
U.S.

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BAHAMIANS WORRIED ABOUT EMPLOYMENT
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4. (U) Local radio stations and websites have reported many
Bahamians worried about what kind of impact a blow to the
financial services sector will have on their daily lives.
Many appear worried about the impact on employment, as the
financial services sector makes up 15 percent of the
country's GDP and employs the largest group of people outside
of the tourism sector. The tourism sector experienced a
significant decline in 2008 as a result of the global
economic downturn, resulting in 1000 laid off hotel employees
and an increase in the unemployment rate from 8.7 percent in
2008 to 12.1 percent at present. The threat of additional
job losses in the financial services sector as a result of
the Stop Tax Haven Abuse bill has many Bahamians worried
about their own financial status.


5. (SBU) In a meeting with Econoff on March 5, local
attorney and PLP advocate Ryan Pinder noted that the
inclusion of The Bahamas on the Stop Tax Haven Abuse bill
could jeopardize plans to join WTO or "any other ambitions to
be in the financial business sector." Pinder said the bill
presumes that all money being kept in The Bahamas is
unreported income, which is not usually the case. He further
highlighted that a tax haven bill would not "chase away EU
banks" or prevent EU banks from maintaining their privacy
laws. In addition, he predicted the addition of The Bahamas
on the OECD blacklist later this year.

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COMMENT
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6. (U) If a Stop Tax Haven Abuse bill passes, that includes
The Bahamas, it will be a major blow to the Bahamian economy.
There is a real anger that lax regulations by OECD countries
such as the UK are to blame for the ripple effect of a
crackdown on Caribbean offshore banking destinations.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown recently addressed the
U.S. Congress, saying tax havens represent a threat to world
savings, effectively passing the buck to jurisdictions such
as The Bahamas that offer offshore financial services.
Despite this, little attention has been paid to the EU role

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in this issue by the local press. For the moment, The
Bahamians are focused on the possible passage of the tax
haven bill in the U.S.
ZUNIGA-BROWN