Cabinet approves Christmas increase in duty free allowance
(CNS): Cabinet has approved a temporary increase in the duty free allowance for all residents for the holiday season. Anyone taking a shopping trip will be able to bring back CI$1,000 worth of goods through the airport before having to pay any duty on their purchases for all of December. This is double the usual CI$500 allowance and will run from 1 December until 5 January. The order does not however apply to online shopping only items bought overseas by travellers coming home through the airport.
Minister for Border Control & Labour Dwayne Seymour thanked the new premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly who supported the initiative which he said fits in the government’s broad outcome goal of improving the quality of life for Caymanians. “By approving a temporary increase in duty allowance, it will ease the burden for individuals and families who desire to travel during the holidays who may find it a challenge to find additional funds to pay for duty as well,” he said.
There was no indication from the government how much revenue they expect to lose that would normally be collected during December given the usual increase in overseas trips ahead of the Christmas holiday.
However, officials reminded travellers that dutiable items with a value exceeding the duty free allowance must be declared on the Customs & Border Control (CBC) Declaration form and presented to a CBC Officer upon arrival. If a CBC Officer suspects that a passenger has either failed to declare items that should be declared, has made a false declaration or is otherwise engaged in the smuggling of contraband, the passenger will be subject to questioning and search by the officer.
Returning residents are advised that the duty free allowance does not apply to merchandise purchased for resale in their business. Those items must be properly declared and the applicable duty paid thereon.
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Category: Local News
Minister for Border Control & Labour Dwayne Seymour thanked the new premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly who supported the initiative which he said fits in the government’s broad outcome goal of improving the quality of life for Caymanians. “By approving a temporary increase in duty allowance, it will ease the burden for individuals and families who desire to travel during the holidays who may find it a challenge to find additional funds to pay for duty as well,” he said.
It improves a resident’s quality of life to be able to travel?
People are crying about CUC and supermarket prices but they can afford to purchase airline tickets, pay accommodation, rent cars and pay for food just to avail themselves of $500 extra in duty allowance.
This only benefits those who are already well-off that can afford to travel in the first place.
If they had given a concession on duty import rates, that would have assisted more people.
JUJU is going by the Bible. “Those that have little shall have less and even that will be taking away from them and giving to the rich “God loves” ??
Absurd policy like this, is why UDP and PPM parties cannot win elections.
Let the complaining begin.
A headline grabbing tax cut for residents who dont need it.
But no elimination of duty on food staples for residents who live hand to mouth..
Most folks who can afford Miami weekends that Ive spoken to conceded they are a little embarrassed by this obvious vote buying.
Whats that larger than life object on the horizon, an election??
Jon Jon could not be more clueless! “By approving a temporary increase in duty allowance, it will ease the burden for individuals and families who desire to travel during the holidays who may find it a challenge to find additional funds to pay for duty as well,” he said.
“EASE THE BURDEN” for paying duty when the family can afford plane tickets and hotel rooms over the holidays??! Make it make sense, ya DONKEY!! How about giving those of us stuck on island some duty allowances for gifts we bring in for our kids?
I know Jon Jon told us all he “sets the bar so low so he can’t fail”, but he is certainly failing miserably at giving the people that truly need it some relief!
We voted for you so feed us, clothe us, and give us free airfare or else ya donkey. You know we can’t take responsibility for ourselves!
JuJu must have found a pot of gold under the Premier’s chair in the LA.
I know lets give every govt employee $1500, then send them to Miami to spend it!
Cherry picking sins
Hear hear. Our Politicians only pander to one single voting group: the bloated Civil Service. Lifetime Pension and Health, Bonuses & Duty Waivers, while local businesses suffer and groceries are beyond our paychecks!?!
Lifetime contracts for expats lucky enough to land a job, but with no need to even TRY to offer succession planning; young Caymanians have zero hope of a position.
The CI Govt needs an employee reduction plan!? Engineers, IT Experts, Electricians, NRA drivers, taxis, all need to be Caymanian jobs!!
What about our Poor Pensioners who is struggling to pay bills and living off a widow’s mite. Are the pensioners getting the one-off payment also. No one can answer. What’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
I can answer with confidence. They aren’t getting diddly.
It is really great to give the people who can afford to hop a plane to Miami to shop a break. They really need it. What about the poor folks that can’t afford a plane ticket and hotel room. What kind of break to they get?Once again government looking after the rich and thumbing their nose at the poor.
Many of those folk whom you call “the poor” were once the employed middle class, and look what it got them: A misappropriated mandatory retirement, colossal health care costs, and as an added bonus, out of control price on all goods and fuel.
Thanks CIG, for the ongoing bitchslapping of the middle class. I worked hard. I had dreams. Wild chicken lookin’ good.
l first arrived in 2005 and left in 2015, I would like someone to answer this question for me. How expensive is it to live in GC now? When I was there you could get by with 2000KYD per month, just, I was a dive Instructor. Can someone give a detailed breakdown for me. It seems prices are out of control. I could never afford to go back.
KYD$2,000 can barely get you a decent apartment to rent now, not mentioning electric bills and supermarket prices are through the roof.
Stay where you are. Don’t come back here.
JuJu reading from the book of Mac.
Can i get a refund on duty i paid a week ago when i did my Christmas shopping?
Why this couldn’t be a COLS credit for all, is a mystery, if equity was the goal.
Shopping Trip. What is that? I think I vaguely remember having one of those to Tampa around 2005. So, if you are well off enough to afford a shopping trip out of the country, then you get a bonus; if you have to stay at home and order goods, you get zip. Got it.
Thanks for nothing.
This will help the CIG employees at election time.
$1500 payout you say? well, that will cover a flight, an overnight hotel, and 1k to spend on gifts.
Can the idiots in charge just make it permanent? as inflation isn’t ever coming down.
Why temporary? Make it permanent. You guys keep railing on about surplus. Stop shafting the people and give us a bit more wiggle room where duty is concerned.
Ding Ding Ding!
With increased population comes increased revenue, comes increased surplus. So that means it’s time to start reducing duty rates and provide people with some relief.
But what they’ll do instead is spend it in the civil service.
Reminds me of $100 plus cab fare
Why not make it an annual allowance, regardless of import method. Link to a standard government ID, job done…
Remember Gas Gate?
LOL. So 2500 then.
The only people who can afford a family vacation are MPs, so it’s just another gift to themselves.
And local merchants suffer as politicians forget their “Buy Caymanian” obligations to garner votes.
Local merchants suffer – lol.
For real
I always try to buy locally and accept prices will be higher, but when it is four times the US price it is cheaper to import yourself.
This exactly.
If something bought in a local store is more convenient, and roughly what I would pay to buy it RETAIL in the US plus shipping and duty then I’ll get it here.
But local vendors are buying things WHOLESALE which means 25-50% less than Amazon or similar retail. Then ship in bulk to keep costs down, then mark it up at 2-4x the price it would cost me to bring it in myself.
Sometimes they don’t even have it in stock so they’re not even carrying inventory risk on the item. Sometimes the item isn’t charged duty (ie China, or Guitars) and yet is 3x the price of importing by oneself.
Local retailers my fat ass
Local merchants need to stop gouging, then they’d have some sympathy.
I’ll pay same number in CI as it would be in USD, plus a little markup. Any more, I’m going without.
I refuse to get ripped off by local merchants who take the piss. Charge a reasonable rate and I’ll buy local otherwise I’ll buy as much as I can online!
they should just make it 1k permanently. Cayman is always behind the times
And they could offer that only to Caymanians to keep their buying of votes intact.
LOL
Should raised the free duty 100$ to make it 600$ all year around. plus drop the 5 $ package tax. That would help all