House approves conch levy
Published:Thursday | July 19, 2018 | 1:54 PM
A levy of US$0.50 has been imposed on each pound of conch exported during the 2018 conch season.
The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved the Conch (Export Levy) (Rate of Levy) Order 2018 Resolution.
In his remarks, Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries Audley Shaw said all proceeds of the levy are, by law, allocated to the Fisheries Management and Development Fund, which is used to facilitate the sustainable management and development of the fisheries sector.
“The levy for the 2017 conch season was set at US$0.50 per pound of conch. It is, therefore, recommended that the levy remain as such for the 2018 conch season,” Shaw said.
The Conch (Export Levy) Act imposes a duty on the export of conch.
It is used, in part, to offset the cost of implementing programmes for monitoring, control, surveillance and enforcement in relation to Jamaica’s limited conch resources.
The law requires that for each conch season the rate prescribed by the Minister must be approved by Parliament.
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