Christopher D. Lowe
So, having gotten the point across that shipments cannot be arbitrarily held up/impeded by Customs for any reason real or imagined and that is not directly connected to paperwork files for the clearance thereof.
We now have Bahamas Customs rejecting a duty paid sales entry and report, along with the $50,504.00 that it represents and that should duly be accepted on behalf of the treasury!!
Why?
Because we are now required, according to Customs, to submit a bonded sales report along with the duty paid sales report!!
A different approach to the same arbitrary objective, a Bonded Sales Report.
And no doubt, if the Duty paid sales report is not resolved / cleared by the 15th of the month, they will now hold our trailers/shipments for that reason!!
Looks like an injunction will be required after all, not withstanding the statements in the press of our Minister of State for Finance to talk with stakeholders and resolve these issues to the benefit / functionality of all involved.
I honestly do not know who he is talking to, but it is not me, and it cannot be Customs in Freeport if they are carrying on in this manner!!
Or perhaps there is some other authority that is being exercised in Freeport.
There are other companies who have been so threatened and hampered by Bahamas Customs, but most are too timid to fight for their own lawful rights, and have caved.
Disgraceful behavior for supposed professional Civil servants who aught to be as aware as any citizen the limits of their authority as written in law!
The company whom I work for, that finds itself again at the point of a gun, is approaching the Christmas season, its busiest time of the year, with the highest sales and remittances to the treasury.
I hope we are not laying off staff, or shutting down at such a critical time.
But if the services of Government are to continue in this manner, will any of us be here?
