Lovell defends tax decision

Antigua and Barbuda\'s Finance Minister, Harold Lovell, has defended his country\'s decision to decrease by 41 the number of items which have been zero-rated under the sales tax.



The government is reducing its protected basket of goods from 70 to 29.



It’s blaming the decision on a fall in revenue due to the global financial crisis and delinquent businesses that are failing to pay in their receipts from the sales tax.



Mr. Lovell has said the decision is a difficult one.