Gov't to grant tax waiver for donated ambulance left at wharf almost 12 months
Published:Wednesday | July 26, 2017 | 10:22 AMJerome Reynolds
After months of agitation, the Ministry of Finance is to grant a waiver to release an ambulance donated to the Government that has been sitting at the wharf for almost a year.
State Minister Fayval Williams told the House of Representatives yesterday that the matter is being addressed.
State Minister in the Finance Ministry, Fayval Williams
The disclosure came after complaints made on Monday by members of the UK Diaspora attending the Jamaica 55 Diaspora Conference at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown, Kingston.
They expressed frustration that they were being asked to pay three millions in duties and taxes to clear the charitable donation to the Government.
The ambulance is valued at $10 million.
The Diaspora members said the ambulance is to be donated to the Noel Holmes Hospital in Lucea, Hanover.
Jamaica enacted legislation in 2013 which, among other things, sets guidelines on tax incentives for charitable organizations and limit the issuance of tax waivers by the Finance Minister.