Antigua & Barbuda lost EC$ 23 million in revenue between January and May Comptroller of Customs, Raju Boddu has revealed.
He said collections up to May 31, 2020, totaled $138.79 million compared with $161.80 million for the same period 2019. This represents a decline of 14.22 percent or $23.1 million less than the year before.
Boddu says there is reason to be optimistic for future months has June figures look promising.
“June so far is not looking too bad. For 2019 June, we collected $28.9 million and so far, this month collections total $23 million,” he old Pointe Xpress.
According to Boddu, from June 1 – 25, collections are running $3.5 million behind last year’s figure and with three more working days in the month, he is anticipating that the department could collect about $2 million more.
“We are inching to a normal situation with respect to our collections,” he said.
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I know we pay a lot of money to get what we need, especially when not available here.
Amazing how much duty and tax is paid
There is no wonder.That daily staples are so expensive in Antigua.Those who import the goods are charged heavy duties by Customs.They the importers passes those charges on to the consumers.The consumers in addition to those costs have to pay 15% in ABST. That 15% is awfully high.Bring back payroll taxes and lower the ABST to 7%. Because in the past not all workers paid income taxes.Those at the lower end of the ladder did not pay.However,ABST does not care.Whether you are at the top and or bottom of that ladder.Everyone one pays 15%. While in Antigua last January/February.I visited a supermarket to look for something.While looking around i saw Ice Cream.I looked at the prices and almost wet my pants.I could not believe that an Ice Cream for $3.00 here,would sell for $40 EC in Antigua.
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