Government and Merchants Offer Savings for Christmas

On Monday, the government rolled out some exciting news: GST-free shopping. For the next two weekends before Christmas, you won’t have to pay the usual 12.5% General Sales Tax on your purchases. Mark your calendars for December fourteenth, fifteenth, twenty-first, and twenty-second. This perk is for those paying cash for retail items and non-alcoholic drinks. It’s the government’s way of lightening the load on your holiday spending. Just remember, this doesn’t apply to items bought on credit, layaway, hire purchase, wholesale, or consignment. Plus, some businesses are sweetening the deal by offering their own customer rewards.

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

Alongside the government’s offer to waive the twelve-point-five sales tax this Christmas, we’ve discovered some businesses are adding their own discounts. The V Department Store on Coney Drive is celebrating its first anniversary with special deals on selected items and wines. Just look for the store’s colorful stickers to spot the discounts. General Manager Michael Theus shared that these deals are part of their anniversary celebration.

 

Michael Theus, General Manager, The Vee Department Store

“We offer a great amount of savings to persons who are on a thin budget and eventually we can take you through shopping for something items here at the V to show you exactly what that converts to and what the actual sticker price is and what the price will actually be after you have not paid the GST portion on it at the V. Similar likewise, we are running some promotions on some of our sticker items. So the V Department Store is also contributing. by offering additional savings to customers at 5, 10, 15 percent discount on certain items and then you get the GST off that similar too. So, I was running through some of our sales then to show you what you actually would have paid and what you will be saving when shopping at the V. On your regular days then, be it Monday through to Friday, then what we have our sticker sales on that discount will apply only and the GST will be applicable at that point there.”

 

Marion Ali

“And then of course you said there are some limitations as to what it applies to?”

 

Michael Theus

“Yes, we cannot do on liquor sales. We cannot do on sales that are called credit sales, where persons do a higher purchase and has to pay down the road after, we cannot do that. Likewise on wholesale items, we can do wholesale items. So it’s basically what the items you have in the store, our customers come in and purchase that are not exempted on the retail side that we can actually offer the GST exemption on the Saturday and Sunday.”

 

Marion Ali

“It would be basically anything that is retail?”

 

Michael Theus

“Pretty much, yes.”

 

Theus showed us how much a customer would be saving on a bottle of men’s cologne that currently costs eighty-four ninety-nine.

 

Kenrick Theus

“The price of this one is $84.99 and after our ten percent discount and after the GST removal, you’ll be paying $64.22, so that’s a savings that we’re passing on so people can enjoy.”

 

We took a tour around the city and found out that J and W Shopping Mart on Sixth Street is already spreading the holiday cheer! Owner William Zhou shared that they’re offering discounts on selected items. Plus, they’ve got an exciting raffle where the top three winners get prizes every month for a whole year!

 

William Zhou, Owner, J&W Shopping Mart

“We have specials for customers they get special discount.”

 

Marion Ali

On selected items or everything?

 

William Zhou

“Yes, selected items. Every customer who come by this store, every 10 get a raffle ticket.  We have 10 prizes. First prize you get a hundred dollars every month for one year. Second prize, seventy-five dollars shopping for a year, monthly. Third prize fifty dollars monthly for a year.”

 

The Government also announced that for the entire month of December, picnic shoulder hams, smoked ham legs, and imported turkeys will be zero-rated. We went over to Campos Smiling Meats that specializes in hams. Co-owner and manager, Alyssa Majil said they have specials at Christmas and year-round and their specials are not limited to hams.

 

Alyssa Majil, Co-owner, Campos Smiling Meats

“The picnic hams is 6. 50 a pound. Ham legs is 8. 50 a pound. And, um, boneless turkey ham, 11. 00. Well, these are dropped rates, right? Because normally, on a normal occasion, we would sell the picnics for $7. The leg hams, we sell those for $9. But you know da Christmas time, we want everybody feel dehn Christmas. Let’s say, a customer walks in and they only have thirty dollars. Miss, I only have thirty dollars and I want a little piece of ham because it’s just me and my kid, or me and my husband. Not a problem. I will make sure I find you a $30 ham. And this is not just a monthly thing that I do only because it’s December I do this all year round if a customer walks in and say well, I want to have six dollars I need a little piece of meat for six dollars. We give them what their money could and people can tell you I don’t I don’t sting you with my meat. I make sure they walk out of here satisfied.”

 

Majil’s meat shop has something special for everyone, including beef hams for those who don’t eat pork. Wondering how the GST waiver works? The government explained in a press release that businesses registered with the GST Unit and using cash registers that add GST will simply not include it on sales during the specified dates. Shoppers are advised to check their receipts to make sure GST isn’t mistakenly added and to report any issues to the Belize Tax Services Department. Marion Ali for News Five.