Mr. Speaker,
I wish to report that Cabinet at its meeting yesterday November 16, 2015, considered the matter of duty free allowances to be offered in the month of December.
Cabinet determined that effective December 01, 2015, and continuing up to December 31, 2015, the allowance to non-commercial importers and travelers will be as follows:
- Gift packages of “food stuff” are allowed the first 400lbs free of Duties and Taxes
- Non-commercial Imports will receive a duty free allowance of EC$540 (USD$200) off the CIF value
These measures can be taken as a December Special from the Team Unity administration. More than that however, it is another demonstration of Team Unity’s love for the people of Nevis and St. Kitts and our enduring commitment to help our people especially the poor to have a satisfactory quality of life.
No government in our time has done so much, for so many people in the first term. We provided relief for 365 days from VAT on food, medicine, and funeral expenses.
We have corrected the injustice to former sugar workers like Allan Rubaine of Saddlers, Ermyn David of Mansion, Bernice Hamm of Mansion, Chemical Samuel Wilson, John Paul and Ivy Battice of Basseterre. We have provided EC$13.5m to Fresh Start Program for SMEs. We gave generously by way of zero VAT on the first $75,000 value of a vehicle and now we give a December special to non-commercial importers and travelers.
This is a Team Unity government “Working for the People”.