MINISTER OF TOURISM Richard Sealy has thrown his support behind the call for duty-free shopping by locals.
“One of the proposals being considered is allowing anyone to purchase duty-free once they are paying in a foreign currency,” he said last Thursday.
“Certainly, that receives the support of the Ministry of Tourism. I think it would do a lot for making Bridgetown and Barbados more attractive as a shopping destination.
“Having said that, the Ministry of Finance is going through the options and is very careful to make commitments like that at this stage, but it is something receiving active consideration and I do look forward to seeing that one day that would be possible where we could be a duty-free port with the condition that you pay in foreign exchange. Those are opportunities for us to work closer together.”
Sealy spoke in the Waterfront afe, at the launch of the Bridgetown Express – a shuttle service that is designed to collect tourists from south and west coast hotel properties and take them to The City to make duty-free purchases in an effort to spur more economic activities.
In December 2011 the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry organized a duty-free day for locals with the maximum of a $1 000 per person allowance. However, this move was described by the Fair Trading Commission (FTC) and some store owners as anti-competitive as it was limited to only duty-free stores.
Two months ago engineer and social commentator Grenville Phillips II called on the government to allow both locals and tourists to make duty-free purchases with foreign currency – US, Canadian, Eastern Caribbean, Euros and Pound Sterling – as a way of building up Barbados’ foreign reserves.
He said: “Technical assistance can be provided to non duty-free retail establishments that wish to participate in the duty-free retail of goods.”
Phillips said significant amounts of foreign exchange were received by people who provided goods and services to tourists, but this money was available for purchase by people who felt forced to shop overseas due to the significantly higher local prices and the perceived wider selection overseas. (MM)