Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Roosevelt Skerrit, has announced measures aimed at improving the efficiency of clearing courier packages.
The Prime Minister did so as he presented the 2014/2015 National Budget Address to the Parliament on Wednesday, July 23, 2014, titled “Towards Expansion of the Economy”.
Prime Minister Skerrit told the parliament that with the advent of online internet shopping and the growing awareness by the population that goods and services required urgently can be accessed quickly via the internet has resulted in continuous growth of the courier business.
The increase in courier business necessitates a change in the procedures utilised in clearing such items.
“Generally, people who utilise courier services anticipate receiving their goods within a short period of time,” he stated. “Customs and port procedures must take this fact into consideration. The current practices by which courier packages are cleared have not kept pace with the growth of that type of activity. A number of administrative and legislative changes have been identified to address this matter. Of specific significance is the introduction of a ‘Di Minimis’ system. Under such a system, goods imported below a certain value do not attract any taxes and fees and the clearance procedures, including data requirements, are minimised.”
A new system will be established for the immediate release of goods valued up to CIF EC$150.00 in keeping with the already established procedure of processing gift packages.
“During the sorting process, goods valued at CIF EC$150.00 and less would be released to the courier agents instead of being retained by customs for duty purposes,” the prime minister noted. “The Di Minimis system shall not apply to: commercial goods, tobacco products and alcoholic beverages. Commercial goods are goods imported into Dominica for any commercial, industrial, occupational, institutional or other similar purpose. We therefore expect the cooperation of all so that no one will attempt to misuse this system for commercial purposes or to import tobacco or alcoholic beverages.”
The Customs Division and the Dominica Air and Seaports Authority will also introduce new administrative procedures which will facilitate the ease of processing the clearing of goods on the port.
The change will facilitate businesses and individuals in clearing goods in a more efficient manner.
Is this a Dominica freight Systems bill put together by my Jackson G when he meet with the customs unit at post audit some two weeks ago . is that hat we have come to as a Nation. according to Mr LINTON .ENJOY YOUR SELF . BE MY GUEST .
Rezd: CIF simply means “Cost Insurance & Feright”. If you order a quanty of goods from a vender, manufacture over seas it what you pay to the manufacture, is term the “cost.” The “I” represents the insurance you should have paid to protect you from loss or damage when the products are shipped to you; note the F, represents the fright, that is how much you paid for shipping.
So, assuming that you ordered a hundred pieces of gods, and the cost of that hundred pieces of goods cost $60.00, the manufacture, paid $12.00 to ship them to Dominica, even if the manufacture did not pay any insurance, legally, the custom will assess a certain amount for insurance. Assuming the added $25.00 for insurance. When you are preparing you tariff to remove you gods from the custom, you will add. $60.00 + $12.00 + $25.00 = $97.00, that would be the CIF of your imports. After you clear the goods from the custom, whatever it cost you to transport it to your place of business, you will add that later to the cost.
Nevertheless, By the time you are finished paying your tariffs, you should pay to the government via the custom, duty, and a consumption tax. At lease that’s how I remember how it worked when I was a custom and tariff clerk when I worked for O. D. Brisbane on the island of Antigua, when I was just a little boy!
After you finished add the full amount of what it cost you to get the product into your store, you add your markup to the that, your markup can be from 1% to a 1000% if you wish: note that is hypothetical okay, nevertheless, assuming that after your markup, you find that you spent $500.00; and the amount of what you import amounts to eight pieces, you would simply divide: $500.00/8 = $62.50; that would actually be the retail price on one piece.You can use that method to figure out the price of anything imported, and sold by retail, I would deal with it in another way if the concentration was on wholesale.
“The increase in courier business necessitates a change in the procedures utilised in clearing such items”(The Prime Minister).
That quote of the Prime Minister is another bit of nonsense, if you have a courier business, in Dominica, and you are only delivering to certain places around Roseau, and not in the rural areas, what difference does it make if you clear customs one minuet after the goods gets to Dominica?. I have spent hundreds of dollars sending boxes of cloths, and other things to people in Wesley, only to find out the courier company does not deliver anything I believed they say pass Mahaut.
The people I sent the merchandize to have to pay their way to Roseau, and back to get the stuff, I actually paid to be delivered to them in their home. Sometimes the less we talk it is the better off we will be. I do not see how changing a courier procedure of clearing items from where; is going expand the nation economy, such idle talk does not make any sense whatsoever!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
The entire customs system for goods bought online is utter nonsense. You pay through the nose just to get the smallest object sent from overseas. Nothing is transparent, it’s unpredictable and expensive. You go into the air-freight shed and you have to move from one desk to another like cattle in a utterly demeaning process that uses so much unnecessary pieces of paper that we are probably supporting deforestation of some ancient Brazilian rainforest just by shopping online. A quicker process for goods under $150 – bullshit. That is just a ridiculously low amount considering our exchange rate. There needs to be a complete overhaul of the system – let people bring goods into the country without having to pay so much and go through so much of a messy, unfair process to get what is ours.
way to go tony,you making me laugh,ha ha ha ha ha ha .
And this is supposed to be “toward expanding the economy”? By encouraging more imports instead of more domestic production and exports?
tax and vat is the backbone of the country …….spoken buy a gov minister IAN DOGLAS of portsmouth
MR. Prime Minister ; the best way to help people is by allowing people to help themselves .Never give people fish all the time but teach them to fish .In developped countries people do not pay 1 cent to collect any parcel or package from the courrier or the post office.It is a shame that so many people from dominica like myself have the possibility to help our family because they cannot afford it when most of them have no proper job ,they end up paying more to get their parcel than the amount we spend to purchase what is in the parcel.
you have a job,you travel when ever you want,i’m sure when you have your parcel coming in to dominica you do not pay any thing,when i tell the courrier or the post office here that my family must pay ,they do not believe it ,i can understand a little fee could be usefull for the economy but asking more money than the content of the parcel i consider this as fraud….every evil action must come to an end with the evil doers at the same time.
MAN Skerro pulling a fast one on us, by using terms malaway wont understand… my people when they say CIF, it doesn’t mean if u buy something valued at $140, you’ll get it free of charge from customs… you will definitely pay, cause when u add the shipping fee etc to it, it will go way above $150… you would have to buy something costing about less than $100 to get away with this… smh….
CIF the shipping and all other fees u paid, b4 it reaches customs is taken into consideration… this guy just playing tricks with dominicans…. smh…. just make it $150 flat for what the item actually worth, with no additional fees attached smh
What does CIF stand for?
CIF = Cost, Insurance and Freight. Which basically means the total value you get when you add the shipping cost, Insurance cost and the price you paid for the item.
That way the government gets a bigger value to tax you harder.
Good question. It stands for “cost, insurance & freight” and is an internationally recognised term used in trade, indicating the cost/price of goods delivered to the port of destination. A contract for the supply of goods may be negotiated between a buyer and seller based on this term.
Look also up other commonly used terms such as FOB (free on board) and ex works.
Cost Insurance Freight
Cost (of the goods) , Insurance& Freight
Cost Insurance and Freight.
This is a big hoax people, Just another trick from the PM. What many of you failed to observe is that the EC $150 quoted was CIF. This means that the insurance and the shipping cost is added, and in most cases with courier mail the shipping cost is more expensive than the product itself.
Thus in reality unless you are receiving a plain letter, you will still have to pay duty. Once again Skeritt fools the people and gets praised for it.
While what you say have some truth to it, most people import their small packages threw EZONE and AEROPOST etc., and not DHL, FEDEX. As someone who orders alot through Ezone and aeropost thats a big easeup. Its a good move.
Dam I still have to go to the PM for me to get consideration for my Viagra…. two tablets cost more than $150 EC boy boy not even something in budget ti ease the frustration. I cyan compete with the ministers for Spanish.
Also eat nutritiously and get ample rest and sleep. There, this advice did not cost you a thing; just my time which I will not charge for.
umm lol
Thank You! A step forward.
Wait a minute…wait a minute….ok
Of specific significance is the introduction of a ‘Di Minimis’ system.
Oh now I get it: PM who you sit and plan that budget with nah? Because all I seeing is things to improve your family standing. Diaper and Wipes charges lowered gifts -Di Minimis” I guess that stands for “Demitri’s Bill” so when you order his toys and diaper you get it right away.
Mr. PM you have too much trix…Silly rabbit Trix are for kids….Give me a real budget I can see hope in not an election Gimmick.
Change be with you!
How Long?
Not Long.
How could you think of that? Your mind is really working overtime and negatively so.
That is nothing new. Picking up packages at courier services was standard. This used to be the case before but the DLP and Mr. Benoit Bardouille changed it when they built the facility close to the police base. Thanks PM for finally making commonsense prevail and putting things back how they were.
Stupes. Not exactly. you will still be paying the agent more money. So basically what you were suppose to pay customs you will give the agent. Only difference is it will be a little less. like $5.00 less. smh.
I remember my brother sending me a book from overseas and I had to and clear that through customs at the post office in Roseau.Ridiculous! Doesn’ the govt. want to encourage literacy?
IKR and 7 TARDS disliking your comment, you know how much TIME IS WASTED at customs to clear packages the TARDS disliking have no idea. I went to clear an item that can fit in my pocket, at lunch time, took me until 5 to get out WTH
Not being greedy, but $150? come on now,
ONLY $150 that is bull poop, so you mean to tell me when I buy my video game only for $59.99 USD I still have to go FREAKING customs to clear it NONSENSE
$150 EC is just $55.23 USD