Nevis premier announces duties and VAT off on all hand sanitizers, soaps and disinfectants

By: Chaïra Flanders

Premier of Nevis, Hon. Mark Brantley has announced with immediate effect, all duties and Value Added Tax (VAT) be removed from hand sanitizers, disinfectants and protective gear.

Mr. Brantley made the announcement just after 9 am on Monday March 16 as he delivered a national address on the rapidly growing Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

He said, “As Minister of Finance, I have directed that with immediate effect, all duties and VAT be suspended from hand sanitizers, hand sanitizing dispensing machines, sanitizing aerosol sprays such as Lysol, soaps, disinfectants, masks, gloves, gowns and other protective clothing and ventilators and or nebulizers for those seeking to invest in their own equipment”.

The Premier said that he has also written to the banks and financial houses on Nevis asking them to “proactively manage their relationships with the Nevisian people to ensure that proper arrangements can be made to those clients especially those in the Tourism industry who might suffer a falloff in pay during this very difficult period”.

Mr. Brantley then appealed to the business sector to maintain steady prices warning them to avoid hiking prices as we prepare for the effects of this pandemic.