No vat on building materials in Tobago?

Government is currently moving to remove VAT (Value Added Tax) on building materials in Tobago. Secretary of Tourism/Enterprise Development/Settlements at the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), Neil Wilson said the whole question of making housing more affordable for Tobagonians was being considered, and reducing the cost of building materials by the removal of VAT payments was one option being actively pursued. Wilson made the disclosure at Thursday’s weekly post-Executive Council meeting press conference at the THA Administrative Complex at Calder Hall in Scarborough. He stressed that every effort was being made to reduce the cost of housing to prospective homeowners under the new housing initiative being undertaken by the THA. “In this regard I know that ...the Government is looking at the possibility of the removal of VAT on building materials for Tobago’s construction industry,” Wilson told reporters. “I don’t think I can tell you very much more about it, but I know it is something that they are considering, and that will help the housing industry considerably.”

Wilson also reported that the THA and the National Housing Authority (NHA) were at present moving to strengthen their ties, with special focus at this time on the question of making unutilised or vacant NHA lots at Milford Court, Bon Accord, and Coral Gardens, in Buccoo, “available for people who really need those lands”. The issue of integration of the NHA staff into the THA Settlements Division is also being explored, he said. Wilson added that the THA was also considering revisiting the Memorandum of Understanding that had been signed between the Assembly and the NHA. A meeting was held between both parties last week. “We are looking at closing the gap, in other words getting closer together and closing the relationship between the Assembly and the NHA.” He further noted that there are many vacant lots. “We feel that those lots should be available.” he added. He reported that the NHA was at present conducting an exercise to ensure that such lands are made available for redistribution. “They will try to see whether they could not effect such redistribution as soon as possible, to make the lands available for people who really need those lands.” As regards the THA/NHA relationship, Wilson explained: “We are just looking to see what needs to be done with respect to the staffing, getting the staff at NHA integrated into the Settlements Division,” he told journalists. He revealed that a number of initiatives that are currently being undertaken by the NHA in Trinidad will pass to the THA when such a relationship is established.