BTC want tax ease

GEORGETOWN: The Barbados Turf Club has called on Government to remove the duties placed on the importation of horses. BTC vice-president Francis Cozier made the appeal in his address at the Garrison Turf Awards at Sherbourne Conference Centre on Friday night. Cozier told the horse-racing fraternity he had learnt that the Jamaica government had removed import duties on horses and for the first time in Jamaica over 100 horses were imported into that country. A racehorse owner revealed afterwards the removal of import duties would enable owners to compete more favourably with those overseas owners who brought in classier horses for the Gold Cup.

In his address Minister of Sports Reginald Farley said he noted the concerns of the owners with respect to the removal of  import duties on horses. He was  not in a position to make an announcement on the matter but promised he would raise the matter with the Minister of Finance. Operations manager Chris Armond told midweek sport afterwards that he was aware Government was actively working on the reduction of the race-day betting tax, as well as the removal of import duties. Cozier said the club would be celebrating its centenary next year, and that in this regard a history of the club was being prepared. He said it was planned to hold a high profile race-day on the actual centenary day.

The vice-president disclosed that the club had increased its stakes by $242,000 during the past five years. He said this was achieved by putting in an additional race some days, because when this is done the stakes do go up. He reiterated the importance of sponsorship to horse-racing by terming sponsors as the lifeblood of the sport. In thanking sponsors for their support, Cozier disclosed that the contribution by sponsors had increased by 30 percent.