“Removing VAT will help us save a lot of money”
– Citizens welcome VAT removal from utilities, cell phones
In guaranteeing Guyana’s economic development and providing relief amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the government will be removing Value Added Tax (VAT) from electricity and water, the purchasing of cellular phones, among others.
Karan Sookdeo is of the view that the removal of VAT on the utilities will significantly assist poor people. “The Government is doing the right thing because Guyana has a lot of poor people, and removing these VAT will help us save a lot of money,” told the Department of Public Information day.
During a press conference hosted at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) on Monday, His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, announced the exclusion of VAT on these utilities, noting that these efforts are aimed at providing relief, while increasing the livelihood of all Guyanese.
Janell Bishop told DPI that the reversal of the VAT introduced by the previous administration, “will be beneficial to all Guyanese, because it will help us to save and manage ourselves better.”
Thanks to the new administration’s removal of VAT on mobile phones, more persons will be able to afford the heavily-needed electronic devices.
Mobile phones are integral for communication and online learning, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, in keeping with Ministry of Health’s safety measures like social distancing, to limit the spread of the novel Coronavirus.
Allana Warner, a Sales Representatives at Safco Mobiles, observed that the Government’s effort, “will help a lot of people to purchase a cell phone, whether they are high or low income workers.”
Citing the business aspect of the VAT deletion, Taif Ali said, “it was a good move by the Government because sales for phones will increase and boost business.”