Excellent!” That’s how some homeowners in Carriacou described the fiscal incentives measures announced by Finance Minister Hon. Dennis Cornwall.
The measures include a 100% VAT exemption on local building materials and other necessary items, a 100% duty exemption on imported building materials, and no payment of property taxes for 2025.
Prime Minister Hon Dickon Mitchell again asked for the rebuilding to be in compliance with the 2016 OECS Building Code. “We have to change the way we build. If we build back the same way, we are wasting time and resources,” he added.
To assist with the application for VAT and duty exemption on building materials, a Beryl Emergency Support Secretariat (BESS) is being established at the Carriacou Community Library. The point person will be Davon Baker, Director of Technical Services at the Ministry of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs and Local Government.
Another relief measure for the people of Carriacou and Petite Martinique is a reduction of the passport replacement fee from $700. Replacement passports, purchased from August to November of this year, will cost $350 each.
Meanwhile, external help is being received in the preservation and protection of the environment of Carriacou and Petite Martinique. The Government of Guyana is supporting a mangrove replanting exercise. As part of the exercise, several coconut trees will be planted.
Ministry of Carriacou and Petite Martinique Affairs
