Local Christmas travellers to get $1,000 duty-free allowance
(CNS): Cayman residents travelling this Christmas will enjoy double the usual duty-free allowance on their shopping. Last week, Cabinet approved an order under the Customs Tariff Regulations to allow the temporary increase of the duty-free allowance for people returning home by air until 6 January. However, people who can’t afford to travel over Christmas and New Year will not be given any discount on goods they ship in for the holidays.
From 1 December until 6 January, Cayman residents returning from a visit overseas will be allowed to bring in duty-free, dutiable personal and household goods up to a value of CI$1,000.
“We extend our gratitude to our Premier for supporting this initiative, which aligns with the Government’s overarching goal of enhancing the quality of life for Caymanians,” said Border Control Minister Dwayne Seymour, who added that this was to help those struggling with duty costs.
“By approving a temporary increase in duty allowances, this measure will help ease the financial burden for individuals and families planning holiday travel, especially those who might struggle to cover additional duty costs.”
Yet the minister had nothing to offer families not wealthy enough to travel at Christmas by cutting the duty on shipping or giving any discount on the imports they may bring in for gifts.
Dutiable items with a value exceeding this temporary $1,000 allowance must be declared on the Customs and Border Control (CBC) form and presented to a CBC officer upon arrival in the Cayman Islands. If a CBC officer suspects that a passenger has either failed to declare items that should be declared, has made a false declaration or is otherwise engaged in the smuggling of contraband, the passenger will be subject to questioning and search by the officer.
Returning residents are advised that the duty-free allowance does not apply to merchandise purchased for resale in their business. Those items must be properly declared, and the applicable duty must be paid.
The government has not said how much revenue it anticipates it will forego with the temporary increase in allowance.
- Fascinated
- Happy
- Sad
- Angry
- Bored
- Afraid
Category: Government Finance, Local News, Politics
Should be helping those who can’t afford to go overseas. If they can afford to go overseas for Christmas, they can afford duties.
Can we talk about another waste of money? The Annual New Years party that was held at Scott’s Dock has been moved to Watering Place “Gardens”and Julie is bringing in Jeff & Sheri Easter a Southern gospel group. There are many gospel groups in Grand Cayman.
While I appreciate the gift, has anyone thought about how this could affect local businesses in particular small businesses. Yes sometime you will pay a little more or equal to the US$ but how about you ask what it takes to run a business. The cost of government fees, utilities, rent, salaries and so on. How about government give those companies a gift too and help make it affordable that businesses can be successful and more people will shop local – just a 💭
Sorry Bobo, I have absolutely no sympathy for local businesses. These jokers are charging $30KYD for a single disposable pen when I can get it on Amazon for a pack of 30 for $5.99USD. I saving all my dollars so I can shop overseas. Not a black cent of mine will go to local business.
facts. local businesses fail at mostly their own fault for this.
The way Miss Julie spending our money, I would encourage you to avoid paying duty every opportunity you get!
I remember when we could afford to travel. Good times. We must have gone to the U.S. at least six times. I hope and pray things go better for you young people than they did for us. We could no longer afford to travel than we could fly under our own power.
Merry Christmas!!
Just evade customs like most people do, nothing to see here keep it moving.
This ‘buy local’ nonsense. Look, if many items weren’t literally twice as much (or even more) as it would cost in the States, people would be more inclined to buy here.
I’m happy to pay a mark-up here, but many times it’s ridiculously expensive, with much less choice, too. If you have a business and can’t make it work, then close the business.
There’s not much of a manufacturing industry here for anything, so the only ‘buy local’ people we’re supporting are the retailers, their minimum wage staff, and the freight businesses that bring it in (and the government cut).
So, don’t buy locally. When the ‘local’ retailers go under you get what you wanted… I won’t elaborate!
You mad? I don’t buy locally unless I have to. Electronics, with their 7 day warranty? tech that’s one generation behind? cars designed to be sold to developing nations? clothes that are either nasty and tacky, or hyper expensive?
No thanks. If any of the shops at Camana Bay close down, not a tear will be shed. Similarly, the tourist tat shops, or little fashion stores selling ugly handbags and satin shirts, or local car dealers.
Food and other consumables are all I buy here. It’s actually refreshing, but being a big part of the ‘buy, buy, buy’ consumerism.
Amen cousin. I could not have said it better.
Unbelievable. Has anyone estimated the cost of this or stated what services or funding will be sacrificed so that well off Caymanians can pay even less than usual in duty? Or shall we just add it to the national credit card?
This administration is intellectually bankrupt.
Cayman needs an impartial Office of Budget Responsibility whose job is to estimate the cost of new policies.
“This administration is intellectually bankrupt.”
As opposed to which previous administration populated by intellectual giants?
Face it: all of your politicians are Grade 1, window-licking, knuckle-dragging, inbred, corrupt, incompetent retards who – if they weren’t in politics – wouldn’t be able to maintain a job in KFC.
except Andre
Especially Andre – Ask Wayne why he left his Firm years ago…
02 @ 2:10pm – Exactly! My layman estimate is between $3-5 mil. in potential revenue has just been given away! And I could be underestimating the number of eligible travelers.
Fine for my wife, she and thousands are in hog-heaven!
Meanwhile, some crucial programs are lacking funding. Wait for it….
Our moronic, corrupt Govt are nothing but hand-out culture, bankrupting Cayman!
“This administration is intellectually bankrupt”.
And duly elected by the superbly educated, informed, unbribed Cayman electorate.
That screwed me over. 5 of us (family) went to Tampa 21-24 November for Christmas shopping and had to pay $400+ in duty. Would have been OK with this allowance…
Yup, nothing like good planning to let us know this is going to happen.
You did your ‘duty’. Shop of island, ya pay duties! The CIG Ministers you elected thank you.
It is hard to believe how stupid our present government is. It only benefits the middle and upper class who can afford to travel overseas for shopping and the seasonal property owners bringing with them their grocery supplies. The local business who depends on the Christmas sales will pay for this ridiculous idea.
When I can buy a product at full retail in the USA, ship it here, pay duty and still have it landed for half of what a local business (who buys it in bulk at wholesale prices) is charging for it, something is wrong.
Half the local shops are just extorting the hell out of local consumers. I have never flown off island to shop, but if I’m off island I will always bring something back even if it’s just to save on shipping. And I promise you, every local “store owner” does this too.
So, you shop and ship; and shop when off island (uh duh, not to shop)… sounds like you have many opportunities to evade fees. I hope you are not dependent on CIG pensions.
hurting local businesses. #americafirst
IF locals charged a fair price, we would all prefer to buy locally aside for the few times we need more variety. But when the price is inflated to over 3 to 5 times the price it is in the states, they are clearly being greedy so NO THANKS!
Limit should be $750 or $1000 now, at all times. The adjustment to $500 was welcomed, but with inflation now, it’s not much more helpful.
As pointed out, this one benefits those who can afford to travel.
They should be taxing the travellers more over Christmas and distributing the extra funds to the less fortunate and more needy.
If you can’t afford it, you don’t deserve it.
Why is it greed to want to keep what you earn, and yet not greed to demand that the government rob someone else and give you their money?
The government earns a billion dollars a year. A billion. With a Caymanian popular of less than 40000. They have ample funds to look after Caymanians – or would if they didn’t waste it and spend like drunken sailors. Ask yourself why our MPs are paid more than those in major economies with constituencies bigger than the entire Cayman electorate, why we replace Dwayne’s vehicle every time he totals it, why every government project seems to cost 3 x as much as it should and still isn’t delivered on time…..but sure, it’s all the fault of the more fortunate that can afford to travel.
Should apply to delivered items as well. Otherwise it’s just another tax on the poor.
No reason none I tell you to shop overseas like Miami when finest clothing options are right here locally made enough with the foolishness I tell you there should be import tax on anyone bringing in purchased goods that tax money can be allocated to civil servants politicians from the people of the community as a Christmas gift of gratitude
Parody or not, use punctuation. I had a stroke trying to read that.
If only some knew what it is or had any interest in learning.
Another “Buy local” incentive from our government.
Yes. Acting against Cayman and our long term interests at every step of the way. State sponsored vote buying. Driving us into social and economic ruin. Unconscionable.
Buy local what? Lcally grown clothes? Goodness, some of you are so miserable and sour that you are not happy even given a good thing. Just because you can’t go anywhere and take advantage of it, therefore noone else should.