THE TT Coalition of Bars and Restaurants (TTCOBAR) and the Barkeepers Owners/Operators Association of TT (BOATT) are urging bar owners to contact their MPs, especially those in government, over a proposed Amusement Gaming Tax increase which, if implemented, could devastate the country’s liming sector.

Both associations have described the proposed 400 per cent increase in the tax on gaming machines as a “second pandemic,” and one that is potentially more damaging to small and medium-sized bars than when covid hit the country.

The government has proposed raising the Amusement Gaming Tax from $6,000 to $25,000 per machine per year, representing an increase of more than 400 per cent.