Breadbasket List Released by TCI Deputy Premier as he defends stimulus

By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, July 21, 2022 – The list of foods that will be duty free for Turks and Caicos residents for the next four months has been announced. E. Jay Saunders,  Deputy Premier and Finance Minister revealed the broad sweeping list of food and household items in the House of Assembly on Monday. They include:

• Rice
• Flour
• Grits
• Bread
• Spaghetti and Instant noodles
• Macaroni and Cheese dinners
• Cornflakes and Cereals
• Chicken
• Canned Sausages
• Fresh and Canned meat
• Eggs
• Cheese
• Evaporated Milk
• Cooking oil
• Sugar
• Fruit
• Baby Food
• Water
• Cleaning Supplies including: gloves bleach alcohol Lysol
• Face masks
• Disinfectants including: bleach hand sanitizers and antibacterial soaps
• Adult and Baby Diapers

And

• Protein shakes

Residents will enjoy savings on these items if they purchase them in grocery stores and if they purchase them online.

The Deputy Premier explained that this list was not set in stone.

“If necessary our government is prepared to expand this list on the exemptions.”

The duty reduction is one part of the $16 million Price Inflation stimulus. Saunders maintained that the entire globe was under inflationary pressures and said what the government was doing to help people was more than just a stimulus. He slammed those who he said were being critical of the stimulus package.

“While we are in this honorable house to provide assistance to our people there are some who are criticizing the help.” He continued.

“To those persons who claim that this government is only handing out cheques and this government is not being innovative in our approach to combating the rise in the cost of living, well if you didn’t know now you know.”

There were mixed reviews about the stimulus online with many residents either over joyed or thankful but concerned that a stimulus was not the best choice to fix the inflation issue.

While the stimulus is certain to be a help to the qualifying islanders in august when it is disseminated those islanders are still a very small percentage of the residents in the Turks and Caicos.