Honourable Gretta Roberts, the Minister for Governance, Public Service Reform, Citizen Empowerment, Social Justice and Ecclesiastical Affairs revealed that the government has removed the 15% Value-Added Tax (VAT) from several health products for adults and babies, including electric vehicles.
She said the government made this move to make life easier for children and senior citizens. Some of the these products include, but are not limited to –
- Adult diapers
- Baby diapers
- Baby wipes
- Bath boards
- Bath steps
- Bath lifts and hoists
- Shower chairs
- Reclining beds
The removal of import duties on adult and baby diapers was first announced in July, 2014. However, following the recent emphasis on the VAT removal, the House of Assembly has made the removal retroactive from September 2019.
“In the identification of the needs of the communities, we recognize that among the elderly and infants, there are some articles and equipment that can be used to provide better and more professional care,” Hon. Roberts stated. “The goal is always to make the quality of life better for citizens.”
Meanwhile, existing VAT on electric cars have been removed and it is now zero percent, and it too retroactive effect from September 2019. According to Roberts, all electric buses, cars, and motorcycles now have a VAT rate of zero percent retroactively from 2019. Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit made the same assertion last year during his budget presentation.
“Electric vehicles are those with an electric motor only,” Skerrit said. “It is more environmentally friendly than those which utilize fossil fuel…this measure will encourage citizens to make the switch to more environmentally friendly vehicles and overtime to have more of these vehicles be imported into Dominica.”
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