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Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) lauded for implementing reforms to improve compliance

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#Jamaica, November 6, 2016 – Kingston – Finance and the Public Service State Minister, Hon. Fayval Williams, has lauded Tax Administration Jamaica (TAJ) for implementing reforms that have significantly improved the agency’s operations and service delivery and taxpayers’ compliance in filing statutory returns.

Notable among these initiatives, she says, are the Revenue Administration Information System (RAiS) e-services platform; the creation of a single payment window for filing National Insurance Scheme (NIS), National Housing Trust (NHT) and Education Tax returns; and the establishment of customer care centres tailored to enhance the client experience.

Mrs. Williams said consequent on these, tax compliance has improved significantly within recent years.   She was speaking at the TAJ’s first ever ‘Let’s Talk Tax’ discussion forum, which was held at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel in New Kingston on November 1 under the theme ‘Tax Compliance in Jamaica’.

Meanwhile, TAJ’s Deputy Commissioner for Operations, Dave Jefferies, indicated that the agency has surpassed revenue-collection targets over the past two years, “a feat we had not achieved in the (previous) nine years”.

“For 2016/17, our target was $266 billion (and) we collected $484 billion… and for the first two quarters of the 2017/18 fiscal year, we are already 8.9 per cent ahead of revenue collection. So, we are on a trajectory of surpassing another revenue target,” he said.

Against this background, Mrs. Williams contended that there is much to celebrate regarding the efforts of TAJ and the overall compliance of citizens with the payment of taxes.   She commended the TAJ on its public education programme, which, she noted, was extensive and incorporated traditional media platforms such as print, radio and television as well as social media tools.   She said these have been complemented by town hall meetings, seminars and workshops, noting that TAJ has also been raising awareness about the importance of taxes, among students in school.

“Representatives go in and cover topics ranging from Jamaica’s tax system, the various types of taxes, the importance of paying taxes, (to) how to start a business, and applying for a taxpayer registration number (TRN),” the State Minister said.

“The thinking, according to TAJ, is that creating awareness of the tax morale and voluntary compliance from an early stage in life will eventually lead to a culture of tax compliance,” she added.

The State Minister noted, however, that much work remains to be done to further increase the level of taxpayer compliance.   She said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that the compliance gap for one tax type, General Consumption Tax (GCT), from 2008 to 2013, ranged between 23 and 33 per cent of potential revenues.   This, Mrs. Williams explained, averaged between $20 billion and $28 billion annually, noting that this was a “large figure”.

Additionally, she said the TAJ’s use of third-party information, specifically utilising audits and inspections to identify delinquent taxpayers, showed a $3.1-billion revenue shortfall for the 2015/16 fiscal year.   This information, the State Minister pointed out, was obtained for 724 audits conducted during the period.   The forum formed part of activities marking the TAJ’s inaugural Tax Administration Week, from October 28 to November 3, under the theme ‘Making a Difference Through Service’.

Release: JIS

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New Tilapia Hatchery Slated for Completion Later This Year

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#Kingston, Jamaica, March 27, 2024 – The new tilapia hatchery under construction in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine, is slated for completion towards the end of 2024.

The 12,000 sq. ft. facility, being built at a cost of approximately $574 million, is intended to address the major issue of shortages in good-quality seed stock for fish farmers islandwide.

Manager for the Promoting Community-based Climate Resilience in the Fisheries Sector Project, Selena Ledgister, says the hatchery’s establishment is critical for securing a sustainable fisheries sector.

“Construction is on in earnest and we are looking before the year is out – which would be by around September or October – to complete the building part of it. The Project will be supporting the purchase and installation of the recirculating aquaculture system. This system will provide over five million advanced fries (young fish) per year, using the recirculating aquaculture system,” she told JIS News.

The bio-secure climate-resilient modular hatchery, being developed in partnership with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), will feature a solar standby generator, plumbing system, rehabilitated guard host and administrative building.

Mrs. Ledgister said the hatchery, to be built and operated under environmentally friendly conditions, will impact the lives of fish farmers islandwide.

“I believe we have over 120 aquaculture farmers, and that number is growing; so, this will benefit the industry significantly. The hatchery is also expected to cushion the demand for fish. Fish farmers will also get the supply of advanced fries to restock their ponds. This is a significant impact that the Climate Resilience Project, as well as JSIF, will be creating for the Jamaican fish farmers,” she said.

 

Contact: Twila Wheelan

Release: JIS

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Trust Fund for Poor Children Born On or After August 6, 2022

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#Kingston, Jamaica, March 27, 2024 – Children born on or after the 60th anniversary of Jamaica’s Independence, who are wards of the State or beneficiaries of the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), will be eligible for the Jamaica 60 HOPE (Hope, Opportunity, Prosperity and Empowerment) For Children Trust Fund.

Jamaica celebrated its Diamond Jubilee on August 6, 2022.

In his contribution to the 2024/25 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on March 21, Prime Minister, the Most. Hon. Andrew Holness, said the purpose of the Fund is to help to close the wealth gap and address the issue of intergenerational poverty by creating a trust account specifically catered to vulnerable children.

“The HOPE for Children Trust Fund will provide each eligible child with a long-term savings account funded through annual contributions from the Government. Parents, guardians or other donors will also be able to make deposits into the account for the future benefit of any specific child,” Mr. Holness said.

The accumulated funds, including interest, will be accessible on or after the child’s 18th birthday, for specific purposes such as education, purchase of a home or commercial property or investment in a business.

“The central idea behind the programme is to provide children with a lump sum to start them in life upon attaining adulthood. Our initial target is a lump sum of between $600,000 and $800,000, to be available on the 18th birthday of any eligible child,” Mr. Holness said.

He noted that the Government will also explore alternatives to establish and manage the Fund, adding that it could form part of the National Insurance Fund or be administered by private insurance companies.

“This is, I believe, a ground-breaking initiative to truly grapple with inequality in the society. From a historical perspective, there are many households who have no endowment in Jamaica, meaning that they can’t look towards anything bequeathed to them from their family. There is no asset being passed down to them from generation. The only way that they are able to create any wealth is through their labour, through the dint of their effort – literally pulling themselves up by their bootstraps,” Mr. Holness said.

The Prime Minister emphasised that as the economy grows, the Government has a responsibility to take instrumental and decisive steps to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty and correct structural inequalities.

“The intention here is great, the amount may be considered small, but it is the first step in the right direction to truly create a more equitable society,” Mr. Holness said.

 

Contact: Judana Murphy

Release: JIS

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Port Royal Museum to Open in May

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#Kingston, Jamaica, March 26, 2024 – The long-awaited Port Royal Museum is expected to be opened in May of this year, with the first exhibit set to be unveiled at the event.

Construction of the two-storey facility, which will be the first fit-for-purpose museum erected in Jamaica, was done at a cost of $788 million with funding from the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ).

Major work on the building was completed in December 2023, with finishing touches and furnishings left to be done.

Director of the National Museum Jamaica (NMJ), Dr. Jonathan Greenland, told JIS News in an interview that the new museum will replace the older and much smaller facility at Fort Charles.

“It didn’t touch all the subject areas… so we lobbied for the Port Authority to collaborate with us and develop a museum in Port Royal, and so they’ve actually constructed a huge building with restaurant facilities, lots of parking, multifunctional space and meeting rooms, shops and everything that a modern museum should have,” he said.

The museum will also be fully accessible to members of the disabled community with wheelchair ramps and an elevator.

Dr. Greenland added that the location of the museum is also of notable significance to the history of the sunken city.

“Right on the spot where the museum is going to be, there was a rebellion of the enslaved workers from the dockyard. The leader of the rebellion or uprising was a skilled bricklayer and when you look at the walls around the whole area where the dockyard used to be, he was probably involved in building that,” he said.

He further pointed out that the museum will present a new opportunity for the NMJ to attract even more visitors and facilitate cultural tourism.

“We’re very excited…. and you know Port Royal is a very interesting place and the history is fascinating. We always had loads of visitors from all around the world without doing any marketing whatsoever, and this is going to be a whole different level of merchandising, marketing and tourism. This is fascinating history and it’s going to be quite dramatic,” Dr. Greenland told JIS News.

 

Contact : Jermi-Lee Nelson

Release : JIS

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