In response to the activation of the Disaster Risk Management Act and the impact of Hurricane Beryl, the Jamaican government has announced a temporary relief from customs duty and General Consumption Tax, offering significant duty and tax relief measures to aid in the recovery and rehabilitation efforts until year-end.
Effective from July 4, 2024, through August 23, 2024, goods imported for relief and rehabilitation purposes will be exempt from import duty and general consumption tax (GCT). This decision was made following the approval of the Minister of Finance and the Public Service and is in line with item 30B of the Second Schedule to the Customs Tariff and section 47 of the GCT Act.
The Commissioner of Customs has confirmed that this measure applies to goods deemed necessary for disaster relief efforts. The move is aimed at facilitating quicker and more efficient delivery of aid to affected areas, thereby accelerating recovery efforts in the wake of the hurricane’s devastation.
In short, as we say in Jamaica, “Barrel come!”