Budget 2016/2017

[Slartibartfast]

7% courier/import tax.. seems fair(ish) and should encourage ppl to purchase some things locally.

Purchase what exactly?

He means to purchase the TV from courts instead of Amazon thereby helping local businesses.

None of the items I purchase online are produced locally. A lot of them aren't even available locally. All this will do is reduce purchasing power or hopefully persuade a buyer to give some of his hard earned money to the same middle men that he was avoiding all along.

If this is about foreign currency leakage then I call bullsh!t because the majority of the US that I am responsible for leaving this country is when I bought my car. This is because no international car exporter I know of accepts trini currency. And again... most of the things we buy are not produced down here anyway, which means the same local company we are supporting will be purchasing the same item using the same US currency.

watched about 25 mins before I realized I was looking at highlights from the 2016 Paralympic Games
will monitor this thread for updates from now on.

I think you are mistaken. Paralympians are amazing athletes that overcome lots of hurdles (metaphorically of course) to be able to compete. A paralympian broke the world bench press record a couple weeks ago actually.

I think what you mean is the special olympics.

[j.o.e]

7% courier/import tax.. seems fair(ish) and should encourage ppl to purchase some things locally.

Purchase Latin American 3rd world trash that failed to enter the US? nah. I still don't understand the point of this you are already paying 6% Tax to Florida now and 38% Tax to clear something like say a cellphone when it enters this country.

People who shop online are already paying more than locally, people shop online to avoid 3rd world Latin American garbage this was a deliberate move to help the PNM financiers who own the local stores and nothing more. Even worse they added VAT to computers last year, just WOW

What does a tax you pay to the Americans have to do with Trinidad?

This

[EFFECTIC DESIGNS]

unfortunately, some of you really can't understand the point of all of this and are still trying to cheat the system and think you are entitled to all these luxury items you import instead of buying locally and supporting local businesses and employment..

this all just flies over your heads..

and of course some business will raise prices as a knee jerk reaction, but smart business will cease the opportunity to under price competition and sell volume instead of aggressive markup

but this too will prob fly over your heads ...

Yeah but you not understanding that we get inferior goods locally, we get nowhere near the same variety of goods either. Whatever is sold locally is some rejected product with lots of bad reviews online about failure.

For example Television Sets from Latin America are made using inferior capacitor brands etc. You talk like they are selling us the same quality products that are being sold on Amazon.

NO what they are doing is selling us the garbage 3rd world Latin American version and charging about the same price as Amazon which sells the US version. I think MOST people nearly everyone would happily buy locally if we were provided with the same quality people value their money which is why they resort to Amazon.

Let us not forget having to pay for courts super shield warranty locally, yeah PAY FOR WARRANTY?
I mean that is even worse, you importing from Latin America next door one would for the very least expect that you would get local warranty that is listed.

[EFFECTIC DESIGNS]

What does a tax you pay to the Americans have to do with Trinidad?

This

Because Imbert said earlier this year that this tax will hopefully prevent people from using up our foreign exchange by discouraging them from shopping online.

So if we going by "discouraging" we already paying 6% Tax to the US Government

[cherrypopper]

Lol ...exactly. ..

Anyway the small man who imports via air has disposable income whereas people who import via sea bring in barrels for their families so no 7 % on sea freight. .

I kid you not. ..

Colm imbert wuz hair..

[teems1]

unfortunately, some of you really can't understand the point of all of this and are still trying to cheat the system and think you are entitled to all these luxury items you import instead of buying locally and supporting local businesses and employment..

this all just flies over your heads..

and of course some business will raise prices as a knee jerk reaction, but smart business will cease the opportunity to under price competition and sell volume instead of aggressive markup

but this too will prob fly over your heads ...

That's not how capitalism works. If your price is too high, and others are supplying better for cheaper, then you drop your price or go out of business. You don't get your friends in Government to pass protectionist laws.

Trinidad businesses try to sell inferior imitation goods for a higher price than Amazon.

[ru$$ell]

15% increase in diesel prices mean everything is gonna go up basically.

[SimSimmer69]

unfortunately, some of you really can't understand the point of all of this and are still trying to cheat the system and think you are entitled to all these luxury items you import instead of buying locally and supporting local businesses and employment..

this all just flies over your heads..

and of course some business will raise prices as a knee jerk reaction, but smart business will cease the opportunity to under price competition and sell volume instead of aggressive markup

but this too will prob fly over your heads ...

That's not how capitalism works. If your price is too high, and others are supplying better for cheaper, then you drop your price or go out of business. You don't get your friends in Government to pass protectionist laws.

Trinidad businesses try to sell inferior imitation goods for a higher price than Amazon.

This. We shop online simply because it's easier and we get a higher quality product at a cheaper price.

[EFFECTIC DESIGNS]

Lol ...exactly. ..

Anyway the small man who imports via air has disposable income whereas people who import via sea bring in barrels for their families so no 7 % on sea freight. .

I kid you not. ..

Colm imbert wuz hair..

His Financiers bring in via Sea aswell. This was a deliberate move to force people to put money into the pockets of his financiers so they can sell us 3rd world garbage that can't even pass basic quality standards to enter the US Market.

[Slartibartfast]

unfortunately, some of you really can't understand the point of all of this and are still trying to cheat the system and think you are entitled to all these luxury items you import instead of buying locally and supporting local businesses and employment...

Where do they sell locally produced cars and electronics?

[pugboy]

Technically should not by 15% though

[SimSimmer69]

15% increase in diesel prices mean everything is gonna go up basically.

It doesn't have to. Our local businessmen aren't exactly trying to help consumers in any way. Most of them can absorb that cost but won't cause they're just greedy. They'd raise their prices by no less than 20%.

[janfar]

Man fack all ah allyuh. Stag is 12 dollars now.

[Bezman]

unfortunately, some of you really can't understand the point of all of this and are still trying to cheat the system and think you are entitled to all these luxury items you import instead of buying locally and supporting local businesses and employment..

this all just flies over your heads..

and of course some business will raise prices as a knee jerk reaction, but smart business will cease the opportunity to under price competition and sell volume instead of aggressive markup

but this too will prob fly over your heads ...

Yeah but you not understanding that we get inferior goods locally, we get nowhere near the same variety of goods either. Whatever is sold locally is some rejected product with lots of bad reviews online about failure.

For example Television Sets from Latin America are made using inferior capacitor brands etc. You talk like they are selling us the same quality products that are being sold on Amazon.

NO what they are doing is selling us the garbage 3rd world Latin American version and charging about the same price as Amazon which sells the US version. I think MOST people nearly everyone would happily buy locally if we were provided with the same quality people value their money which is why they resort to Amazon.

Let us not forget having to pay for courts super shield warranty locally, yeah PAY FOR WARRANTY?
I mean that is even worse, you importing from Latin America next door one would for the very least expect that you would get local warranty that is listed.

breds what are you talking about

the same samsung tv your buy locally, is the same damn tv you buying on amazon...
trini's feel entitled to the latest biggest things and expect to cheat the system

pay ya blasted taxes.. if you was living in the USA yu would have no problem paying the 7%+ taxes most states have that you avoid by being outside the USA and buying on amazon>. don't event talk about the under valued items we pay taxes on at the couriers,, items worth 1000 us valued at 200 etc..

anyway i done..

[desifemlove]

6/10. too much on stablisation, not enough on diversification.

[EFFECTIC DESIGNS]

15% increase in diesel prices mean everything is gonna go up basically.

Is this the total removal of the subsidy?

I Pray it is the total removal once and for all. Because companies taking advantage of this if diesel go up by 15% they make sure to raise prices so they recover a lot more than 15%

[ru$$ell]

15% increase in diesel prices mean everything is gonna go up basically.

It doesn't have to. Our local businessmen aren't exactly trying to help consumers in any way. Most of them can absorb that cost but won't cause they're just greedy. They'd raise their prices by no less than 20%.

and why not? Things don't get transported through hopes and dreams buddy. I went from $300 to fill my tank to $460 in a year.

[SimSimmer69]

6/10. too much on stablisation, not enough on diversification.

Diversify where?

[Redman]

You understand that the removal of the subsidies now means that fuel prices will continue to move with oil prices???
-but as we experienced this last year the GORTT will only adjust up not down.

So be careful what you ask for -oil at 60-70 will mean higher prices fuel prices.

And that 7% tax makes no difference in the value proposition for buying online.

None

[EFFECTIC DESIGNS]

Is all the subsidy on the Diesel gone?

[tourniquet]

lol @ beating the system. Everything I purchase online I pay VAT and Duties when applicable. I suppose this is an easier way rather than addressing the inefficiencies, ineffectiveness, and general bobool that goes on in Customs .
DOMA et al would be grateful for this though, I know they were griping about online shopping for quite some time now. Again, rather than looking at themselves and their general shoddy service and support, they placed blame on "everybody buying online :'( "
Supporting local is a two way street.

[Bezman]

Is all the subsidy on the Diesel gone?

no the full subsidy removal would have taken the price to approx $3.30 TTD

[Gem_in_i]

15% increase in diesel prices mean everything is gonna go up basically.

Is this the total removal of the subsidy?

I Pray it is the total removal once and for all. Because companies taking advantage of this if diesel go up by 15% they make sure to raise prices so they recover a lot more than 15%

75% removal

[Bezman]

lol @ beating the system.

do you alert the courier company and customs when they under value your items? this is 99% the reason most ppl import stuff

[Slartibartfast]

lol @ beating the system. Everything I purchase online I pay VAT and Duties when applicable. I suppose this is an easier way rather than addressing the inefficiencies, ineffectiveness, and general bobool that goes on in Customs .
DOMA et al would be grateful for this though, I know they were griping about online shopping for quite some time now. Again, rather than looking at themselves and their general shoddy service and support, they placed blame on "everybody buying online :'( "
Supporting local is a two way street.

Bezman making less sense than effectic right now. Just let that sink in. Talk done. No offense effectic.

[Bezman]

lol @ beating the system. Everything I purchase online I pay VAT and Duties when applicable. I suppose this is an easier way rather than addressing the inefficiencies, ineffectiveness, and general bobool that goes on in Customs .
DOMA et al would be grateful for this though, I know they were griping about online shopping for quite some time now. Again, rather than looking at themselves and their general shoddy service and support, they placed blame on "everybody buying online :'( "
Supporting local is a two way street.

Bezman making less sense than effectic right now. Just let that sink in. Talk done. No offense effectic.

again i'll ask, do you alert customs or the courier company when they value your item(s) at 1/4 the value so you can pay the correct tax, duty and vat?? if not you're cheating the system

[Slartibartfast]

lol @ beating the system.

do you alert the courier company and customs when they under value your items? this is 99% the reason most ppl import stuff

What courier company are you with? My stuff from amazon and ebay has the bill taped to the outside with the amount I paid on it. It is valued according to that price.

[Redman]

again i'll ask, do you alert customs or the courier company when they value your item(s) at 1/4 the value so you can pay the correct tax, duty and vat??

I did that once -2 items came in one week apart and while identical in all respects I noticed that the customs charge was different.
I supplied them with the Amazon invoice
When I called the woman ruff me up and ended the conversation that I should be happy to pay less than Im supposed to

So I just shut me tail and pay what they say.

[Bezman]

lol @ beating the system.

do you alert the courier company and customs when they under value your items? this is 99% the reason most ppl import stuff

What courier company are you with? My stuff from amazon and ebay has the bill taped to the outside with the amount I paid on it. It is valued according to that price.

E-Zone, Inviare, REdX, Web Source, Aeropost

have experienced this with all, sometimes the value on the courier invoice is correct, often it is way below the correct price, and this is common knowledge, most times they open to just verify item and no price, most times invoice in box and no even touched.. most ppl ordering on amazon and other sites would often put the item as a gift, so there is no invoice at all...

[cherrypopper]

Goes the other way around too. ...when you pay too much there is no redress. So peter pays for Paul