For Jamaicans returning from travel abroad who make duty-free purchases, the threshold for such declarations will be moved from US$50 to US$100 during the next fiscal year that begins on April 1.

The announcement was made on Sunday by Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke as he addressed the 80th annual conference of the governing Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) now underway inside the National Arena.

“When you come through the airport, everybody (customs officer) a bother you, (asking) what you buy abroad, you buy this or you buy that; a bother you, a stop you, a mek di line long,” said Clarke.

He then announced that the government would be going further than just adjusting the threshold for duty-free purchases. For other purchases made overseas, the threshold on which no tax is paid is currently US$500.

Said Clarke: “We’re going to address the threshold when you enter the airport, … we going to move it come April to US$1,000”.

Clarke told the conference that the Parliament will, in January, begin debate on a 1,000-page Customs bill to repeal and replace the old bill from 1945 to ensure that Jamaica has modern and efficient customs. He said that when the new bill is passed, the government would have reduced the bureaucracy at the country’s ports and airports.