Jamaica Grants Temporary Relief from Customs Duty And GCT For Importation Of Beryl-Related Goods

• The Government of Jamaica has moved to provide temporary relief from customs duty and General Consumption Tax (GCT) on goods imported for rehabilitation works linked to Hurricane Beryl. The relief will run from July 4 to August 23
• The Ministry of Finance and Planning noted that the move arose from the activation of the Disaster Risk Management Act and the impact of Hurricane Beryl on Jamaica.
• The Minister of Finance and the Public Service approved goods, which the Commissioner of Customs is satisfied are being imported for relief and rehabilitation, to be relieved of import duty and general consumption tax.
• This is in accordance with 30B of the Second Schedule to the CustomsTariff and section 47 of the GCT Act.
• These suggest that the Minister has the authority to waive, remit, or refund all or part of the tax payable under this Act to a person liable for tax, upon receiving a written application from them. This can be done if the Minister deems it justifiable in the given circumstances. Any such waiver, remission, or refund may be conditional upon terms and conditions the Minister considers appropriate.
• Beryl became the earliest storm to develop into a Category 5 hurricane in the Atlantic and peaked at winds of 165 mph (270 kph). It weakened to a still-destructive Category 4, with maximum sustained winds of 150 mph, just hours before impacting Jamaica on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.

 (Source: Caribbean National Weekly)