Revenue collections at the Customs and Excise Division, one of the two main revenue cen- tres for the government are up by fifteen percent for the first three months of the year, compared with the corresponding period last year.
Comptroller of Customs, Raju Boddu, told Pointe Xpress that collections up to the end of March this year totaled $87.23 million, compared with $76.63 million for the same period last year.
This represents an increase of $10.60 million, or an increase of 15.11 percent.
The comptroller said there are two main fac- tors driving the increased revenue; these are in- creased economic activities as well as increases in the price of landed goods driven by imported inflation.
“The value of imports has increased significantly as our data has revealed that importers are paying higher prices for their goods that are landed in the country. Customs did an analysis of the increases in the landed cost of food items and have found that there is about a nine percent increase in the imported cost of food,” Boddu explained.
As an example, Boddu said that just over 14 million cases of food were imported in the first quarter last year at a value of $77.31 million. However, for the first quarter this year, there has been an increase of 3 million cases to just over 17 million, at a cost of $101.72 million.
According to the comptroller, based on 2021 prices, that figure should have been 93.11 million dollars more than for the same month last year.
That is $8.56 million based on 2021 prices. -POINTE XPRESS
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If only we had an extra 26 acres of farmland to give to a productive, hard working farmer to ease the food price squeeze.
If only we had the little extras from M Freeland. Try and recover that for us ,please.
Most of the food we consume can’t be produce in Antigua..Regardless how much you produce, is tge limitation of the type of weather, disponibility of water for irrigation..Take a look of Epicurean…What of those fruit can be produce here..you will realice less than 10 % of what is being sold..Grains, cereals, meats, snacks, drinks, frozen lines, pet food, dairy products, is a lot a lot of food we consume and doesn’t matter how much we try, we can’t supply it.
Now we know that the government is earning a huge increase revenues form the increase in the price of imported goods, the government should be considering reducing duty to bring down the cost of especially food. The increase in the cost of eggs was stated as a concern by the government. If the government would reduce or remove duty on poultry feed, this should reduce the cost of eggs.
Ass, 95% of food isn’t taxed. Stop allowing Harold Lovell to fool you, the other 5% that’s taxes is to protect to local farmers/producers
We need to stop putting taxes in shipping costs and insurance. It makes a unfair playing field for small
And medium importers . Shipping at a all time high and government reaping benifits from this high gas prices as well as the crazy costs to land goods in antigua. We can ship containers to as far south as Aruba for 1/2 thr price to antigua.
First three months last year most businesses were closed due to covid 19 therefore it is expected to see such increases this year for the 1st quarter. Compare the period to a similar year for better comparison. Just my 2 cents.
The 10 million increase in revenue collection is going to the rich and foreigners. Antiguan contractors are owed millions and the government refuses to pay them. I am not talking about the little pittance after going and stand up like fools in the treasury for weeks. While the middle easterners and family and business partners of those in high places are handed millions. If you do not get cleared up between now and election- you know what to do.
Is Point FM inland revenue or the treasury. Sounds like information is released there even before the relevant government institutions. The Comptroller of Customs by doing this is simply telling us that he is now a political football.
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