Gov’t extends Customs duty exemption again
The Port Purcell cargo facility on Tortola. (Photo credit: Andre ‘Shadow’ Dawson/BVI News
Government has, once again, extended its Customs duty exemption period.
This latest extension was effected to accommodate three different groups of persons.
The first of those groups are persons who received late insurance settlements. They now have until September 30 to ship their supplies duty-free.
The exemption also applies to importers who had purchased overseas goods before March 31 but were unable to have them shipped to the territory before June 30.
Their exemption has been extended to August 31.
Select persons who purchased goods after government’s previous March 31 deadline may also qualify for duty exemption up until September 30.
“Such importers must prove to the satisfaction of the Commissioner [of Customs] that they suffered loss and/or damage as a result of the 2017 hurricanes,” government has said.
To qualify, importers must submit an application requesting a ‘remission of the relevant Customs duties’.
The application must be submitted on a Customs-approved form and must be accompanied by supporting documents.
Government first implemented a Customs exemption scheme after the September 2017 hurricanes. This allowed persons who lost property during the disasters to import select items in the territory without paying Customs duties. The government has extended the exemption period at least twice.
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That is the kind of smart government us BVIslanders need to acknowledge and appreciate.
Thank you.
On the onset, the government should have allowed the exemption to remain in effect until at least the end of 2018. Reasons, as mentioned in the article, late insurance settlement. There are lots of people who have only just began to rebuild their homes and we are already in the hurricane season. Government, look around and rethink your decision.
So what about those who were charged duty for arrivals in July of things ordered before March 31st?
Will the duty be paid back.?
If the government made the insurance companies pay and resolve claims then duty and customs would not be a problem. Instead the government or should I say Orlando’s folly, set up a useless Insurance Tribunsl that didn’t resolve one claim. Instead the government allowed the insurance companies to act like criminals without penalties. The government could have simply suspended the insurance companies licenses until they resolved all claims. Once again the belongers and the ruling families are lining their pockets at the expense of everyone else. Good job BVI. You are creating your own demise.
It is not as simple as you put it. Not all insurance delays are the insurance company fault so its not as straightforward as make them pay. The government set up a tribunal where complaints can be lodged and investigated. This isnt selling chicken on the roadside, it takes time to deal with such matters in the proper manner.
You are the fool. Why is it that the Insurance Tribunal has not said or posted of their accomplishments. Simple. They accomplished nothing and settled no claims. The Insurance companies laughed at them. No consumer laws to protect the customers. Take what we offer or go screw yourself. There is nothing British about the BVI. Soon it will be know as little Haiti!! Another s**thole
The tribunal helped me a lot. They examined my case (and many, many more) in detail, advised me on what do, and at one point, with the whole tribal present, called the head of my insurance company telling him to settle it, quick. Funny, the next day I got a call making me an offer I could accept.
As I understand it, despite such actions, they were not an enforcement agency and course oghad to apply existing laws. From what I learned, insurance is governed by one of the Financial Authorities, and the tribunal is producing a report of what went right and wrong, what laws need to be implemented to make our insurance market more fair, and if necessary, they told me, recommend the stripping of license from insurance companies that behaved extremely badly.
I won’t hold my breath. But don’t scream at these good people because they weren’t taking insurers away in handcuffs. They did a lot of work on a lot of distressed people’s behalf.
I had to pay so will I be reimbursed.
Thank you sincerely Premier for your generous consideration . This encourages the people to keep re building. Every break helps. Thank you again
Pretty clear which insurance companies paid out and which didn’t. Remember when you sign up in the future.