No import duties on vehicles, food, clothing

Hurricane Irma damaged these and many other vehicles that were left in a Road Town parking lot. Photo Credit: Horace Mills/BVI News Online

Food, clothing, vehicles and other non-luxury items have been added to the list of goods on which Government is waiving customs duties, Premier and Minister of Finance Dr D Orlando Smith announced yesterday, October 12.

He said the move is aimed at providing financial ease for residents as they continue to rebuild following widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Irma on September 6.

“Immediately following the passage of Irma and even now, it continues to be a priority for my office to ensure that local businesses continue so that goods and services can be provided to residents, and so that jobs remain in our economy. To support the rebuild for residents and to provide some level of financial ease, we have waived customs duties on building supplies, generators, and now we have also added items such as food, clothing, vehicles and other non-luxury items,” the premier said.

He, in the meantime, noted that the territory’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will be substantially impacted.

“While our financial services industry has successfully continued serving clients, we know that with losses to our tourism sector and to our local economy our Gross Domestic Product will be substantially impacted. Yet we must fund our rebuild,” Premier Smith further said.

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