I have no choice but to shop in St. Thomas - VIslander

- Says saving a penny was for the days of “Little House on the Prairie”

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The reduction in prices on store shelves owing to the passing of the new Customs and Duties Bill is not expected to be dramatic. Photo: VINO

ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI- Noting that she sympathises with the notion that keeping the money circulating in the Territory is good for the economy, a mother of seven says even with the passing of the much debated Customs and Duties Bill in the House of Assembly (HOA) she has no choice but to continue doing her bulk shopping in St. Thomas.

The Customs Management and Duties Amendment Act 2012, was hastily passed in the HOA on February 14, 2012 in the House of Assembly. The bill was amended to make way for duties to be relieved from the cost of Freight and Insurance of imports by businesses, which would cost Government some 3.7 Million dollars per year.

The savings, for consumers, however, is not expected to be dramatic if any at all as the concern is whether the merchants would pass it on to the consumers.

According to Kishmet Daniels, she also doesn’t believe the savings would be passed on and questioned what difference would it make in saving a few pennies. She also said it would still be much cheaper to shop in St. Thomas as against Tortola where she says prices are outrageous.

“I have seven children and I can’t afford to shop here like what I do in St. Thomas. I spend $800 every 2 to 3 months on food and other stuff in St. Thomas as I have to shop in bulk and if I am to try doing the same amount of shopping here I would end up spending like $2000. I would easily cover this money going to St. Thomas as I would pay $40 return on the ferry, $5 tax, $2 to get to the shopping centre, $40 for a taxi to return to the ferry and $5 to pay someone to take the goods to the ferry.”

Daniels said she is aware that shopping at home would help to keep the economy strong and that importing to Tortola would be more expensive than importing to St. Thomas but believes merchants need to reduce their prices some more as their mark-ups are a lot more than they should be.

She noted that Hon. Julian Fraser was right when he said the bill should benefit both merchants and consumers. “Saving a penny from this Bill is like in the days of Little House on the Prairie. It would have worked a lot then but not in the 21st century when people have so much expenses including house rent and electricity bills,” Daniels said.

39 Responses to “I have no choice but to shop in St. Thomas - VIslander”

jack (24/02/2012, 13:51) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
Well saw look trouble for me
- small money (25/02/2012, 00:12) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
  Girl kismet just go from here and go tek your little pennies what ronnie and fraser give you and go shop at bobbies and one mart jah
  - ratie (26/02/2012, 23:39) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    dem say the ndp did more for she that dey vip diid, so why she bashing dey ndp? wah ah ting to tell dey king?
k (24/02/2012, 14:21) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
I agree with her. Shopping in St. Thomas is much more cheaper.
- Hmmm (24/02/2012, 15:51) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
  i feel your pain, this new legislation will not save shoppers and money at all and as a result will not work in keeping additional money in the BVI as people will still shop in ST Thomas or online
  - baby time (24/02/2012, 18:31) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    that's a sweet looking baby...hope they did not get it in st.thomas too
The Crazy 88's (24/02/2012, 14:56) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
You can't dispute her point at least One Smart trying to help us with a few good deals but Rite Way is the WRONG WAY.
- con man (24/02/2012, 23:33) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
  from time the goverment brought that customs bill to the legilative council they darn well knew that the consumers will not benefit from this bill. Duty was removed from a number of items years ago and who benefitted from that????the businesses only so you all check the record. but in the age of spin, glover parks, and consultant to write every speech, the NDP and their people they have blogging and calling in to every talk show have mastered the art of conning we the people of the bvi!
  - well said (26/02/2012, 19:29) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    me must agree the NDP have mastered the art of conning we the people of the bvi....that is how they came to power and now when the shoe turn them bawling like little children..pre histric people!
Too right!! (24/02/2012, 15:01) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
For me it is also about the quality, variety and consistency. I find better quality cuts of meat and fish and the variety is better than on Tortola. The other big thing is finding what I want consistently. When you find something good in a BVI store this week, dont bother to look for it again in two weeks! I am tired of driving from one supermarket to the next in search of what should be a simple, readily available item. So instead, I stock up in St Thomas and replenish whenever I go there. No hassle and I pay less!! Sounds like a win-win to me... The BVI stores need to step up their game.
rich (24/02/2012, 15:41) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
yeap the bill from the NDP is a fake only for the rich merchants...waste of time
lil man (24/02/2012, 15:43) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
tell dem Kis..that customs bill rushed by the NDP is about the rich..nothing in it for the ppor people...typicall NDP for rich and whites
hi hope (24/02/2012, 16:09) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
girl shop where the hell you want..when dem NDP up and down in PR and Miami shoping no body aint tell dem anything..Myron done say he island people dem could send dem $$$$$ down islands but aint want locals shop in rock city...see he is for he island people dem but against locals.
facts man (24/02/2012, 17:41) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
it was a good try by the government but the reality is, it will not trickle down to the consumers that is the only problem
OUT OF PLACE (24/02/2012, 18:01) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
but since when any government or any silly politician get off telling me where to shop? they think the BVI is Cuba or some Communist country?????..why the hell they do not spend their time fixing education, water, sewerage, crime, and the justice system..DAM OUT OF PLACE IF YOU ASKED ME!
- DarkVader (24/02/2012, 21:49) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
  You need to read and understnd. No one is TELLING you where to shop!! They are just suggesting that you think about shopping here. Let your money circulate in the island. I hardly go to st. thomas anymore. One Mart hs some good deal. Rite Way can do better..They selling 10lb bag of party wings for $34.00 and Price Mart has it for $15.00. I know you dont pay custom duty on Chicken so I am wondering why the $34.00. It was $29.00 a few weeks ago. They need to cater more to us the consumers. I watching to see if their chicken price will go down now after they get this tax break they were asking for for so long. Rite Way, we watching you.
- HELLO!!! (25/02/2012, 06:52) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
  Oh, VIP was in there for how long? what did they fix? Monies was left there from NDP time to finish the hospital, fix the sewerge system, build a home for the elderly...they dd NOTHING!! now you here talking but what NDP needs to fix!!! aftern being elected only 3 months? I never hear Myron sy for people to send their monies down island..all you VIP stooges tell too much lies.
  - pants on fire (25/02/2012, 10:52) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    TO HELLO: We have the tape YES MYRON said it in the HOA during the debate of the customs bill. Who lie more than the NDP and dem overseas spin doctors?? Ayo better wheel and come again… you NDP paid bloggers, rats and cowbird too dam LIE.
  - Dummy (25/02/2012, 16:50) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    HELLO: You are right, you never heard Myron say send MONEY down the island, you know why? Because you NDP are too dam dumb. He said "REMITTANCE", but I won't expect you to know what that means. Look it up. He said he dosent mind people sending remittance down island
VI (24/02/2012, 18:32) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
Jump high, jump low, I spending my money where I make it. Shopping overseas is not worth the hassle. Been there and done that. No more
sad (24/02/2012, 22:27) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
if she is paying $5 tax on $800 in goods then customs ripping a lot of us off
- Wake up (25/02/2012, 07:37) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
  That $5 tax is passenger departure tax. Where do you live, don't you know anything?
Sandra James (24/02/2012, 22:29) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
The Merchants are a rip off, They are so dishonest that they will never ever pass on the savings. My family in St Kitts says although the government there abolish the 22.5 percent customs duty and replace it with 17 percent VAT and zero-rated some items that the small man use, those bastards (Merchants) have not passed on the savings. Here they will do the same.
trickle down (24/02/2012, 23:26) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
i continue to find that the NDP and their polices are so foney. Just a few weeks ago Ronnie told the public he is against price control...so in other words the rich business owners can charge we what the hell they wish. Now the same set of hypocrites trying to tell we where to shop...!!!!the tail of two cities...Ronald Regan trickle down economics has failed 25 years ago, here the NDP bring back a failed policy... You see once you are been advised from overseas you will adopt the same polices as the master.
- whatIthink (26/02/2012, 09:46) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
  To be fair, though, there is no price control in the USVI. The prices there just happen to be better because they don't have to pay the same shipping fees, plus there is much more competition. They also have a Consumer Protection which basically makes sure prices don't rise too much in response to crises and that people are not being sold bad goods. We have had several governments now - VIP, NDP, etc. - and we still don't have a Consumer Protection Agency and no consumer protection legislation.
Confucius (25/02/2012, 01:34) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
My wife and I have been keeping track of prices of consumer products for about 5 weeks now. We normally shop in St. Thomas every week and have done so for the last 10 years or longer. "Some" prices at "some" stores have improved to a small degree in the last little while ~ but (so far) it is not even close to "sufficient" to make us shop here on Tortola on a regular basis. Andrew Fahie's idea of subsidizing local shipping companies in order to bring prices down, may or may not work. Retail prices are set by the individual retailers and we are at their mercy. All of us WANT to shop at home ~ but the reality is that our retailers seem incapable of doing any price comparisons of their own. And even if government does work out something with local shipping companies, there is no guarantee that the retailers will pass along the savings to the consumer. Do any retailers ever go to St. Thomas and take note of the prices? If they lived in the same world the rest of us do, I think they would be shocked at the price tag for groceries and other consumer products for the average family here in the BVI. They don't really have a clue how hard it can be for some of us to make ends meet. Grocery stores are happy to keep the prices up as high as possible because most rely on VISITORS who can do nothing other than put up with the ridiculously high prices for a VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. By keeping the prices (and profit margins) high, they have less turn over, less work restocking shelves, less staffing costs and they can afford to ignore the complaints of the local population. Rite Way and all others involved in yacht provisioning are a prime example. They make LOTS of money off provisioning for the yacht charter industry. The rest of us (who are being asked to support them all year long) take a back seat. We are asked to support them through the "low or off" season but when "high season" arrives, suddenly, the prices sky rocket. WE are not their target market! Visitors are! In St. Thomas, it is an entirely different market because their yacht charter industry is not nearly as strong. The merchants MUST cater to the local population first and foremost if they hope to survive. I don't see that changing anytime soon, regardless of what measures the government takes in an attempt to help reduce prices. We save our receipts from every store we frequent in St. Thomas. Retailers in Tortola aren't even close on the majority of items we buy on a regular basis. We will continue to shop the rock ~ for now anyway!
not clear Mr. Premeir (25/02/2012, 01:54) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
I could hardly understand what dr. smith is saying when he speaks...my questions are is this duty reduction going to be for all? Are people like Ms. Daniels who say she purchased goods from St. Thomas going to pay duty on FOB instead of CIF? Or is it just for the merchants who will then pass on the savings to the consumers????...which we all know is wishful thinking!!!! I am not clear doc!
- idiotproof (25/02/2012, 14:31) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
  there is no reduction in duty in goods imported. The only reduction is on the insurance and shipping charges that used to incur a customs charge. $100.00 worth of goods $25.00 insurance $25.00 shipping old total to be charge at customs $150.00 new total to be charged at customs $100.00
  - village girl (26/02/2012, 11:07) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    i am more confused
West Ender (25/02/2012, 09:16) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
Whether their margins are to high or they are just not running their operations as efficiently as they could, the only way they will take pricing seriously is with competition from someone coming in from outside the territory that really knows their business. I don't know who the better and more competitive grocery stores are in St. Thomas but I bet if they had a branch store here that would up everyones game. In the meantime, if One Mart is doing a good job bringing down prices we should support them with our $$ and let all businesses see that pricing matters. Perhaps one of the problems the local operations have here is scale. Perhaps there is an opportunity for a second place player here to align themselves with a larger US operation though participation in a association, franchise, or even a joint venture ownership structure.
Quiet Storm (25/02/2012, 19:00) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
Trickle economics has not worked in the US and probably will not work here. Business owners take take advantage of consumers by the exorbitant mark up they put on goods. Sheer greed. True, they pay higher shipping cost than St. Thomas but they are gouging our eyes out within them wide open. What is the consumer to do? It hurt me say it but should shop where they get the biggest bang for their hard own buck. If it is down Rock so be it. The merchants are lucky that not all BVI residents can shop in St. Thomas. Perhaps, the USVI should look at loosening their emigration rules. Competition is one tool that keeps prices competitive. But it is not working in the BVI. The businesses may not have a monopoly but it feels like a oligarchy. My theory is that the markups are so high that inspite of loosing some market share to Rock they still turn a scandalous profit. Thus the lost market share do not faze them. Until there is deep cut into their market share and profit they are not going to change their behavior. Some counsumers have advocated price control. But price control is not the answer;they have uunintended consequences and often result in shortages and poor quality. To solve this problem, a strong dose competition is needed. This coupled with targeted boycotting of busininesses that may be rapine the poor consumer may bring some relief. Got to hit them Hardin the revenue and profit. Greedy men and women have no honor, compassion for the poor, the less fortunate. There is nothing wrong with making a reasonable profit. But exorbitant profits are abominable. unintended consequences and often result in shortages and poor quality. To solve this problem, a strong dose of healthy competition is needed. This coupled with a boycott of businesses that are raping the
My $0.02 (26/02/2012, 00:00) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
Quiet Storm is quite right. My thing is this if you want to make sure that these businesses pass on whatever saving they get from this bill, it would have been better to pass this legislation for everyone and not just the businesses. The competition would force them to pass on those savings. This to me is the best kind of price control. When you pass legislature that only benefits a select few and not all this is a recipe for the few to take advantage of the many. History has shown that protectionism only benefits the businesses and ultimately hurts the consumer.
- Quiet Storm (26/02/2012, 15:11) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
  $0.02, there is no dollar value to your observation. Competition is the key to bringing relief to the long suffering consumer. The government may have been well intended on the reach and impact of the amended Customs and Duties legislation. But in reality it will only benefit a few businesses and offer little if any benefit too vitall many consumers. The bill failed to provide It did not provide benefits to the greatest number of consumers that it could. In essence nothing will change, the consumers will experience no relief from escalating cost of living. Businesses will not change their greedy behavior. So what should suffering consumer do? Shopping local has a multiplier effect and boosts the economy. And I support shopping locally. But as someone else commented, one hand cannot clap, it takes 2 to tango. And if businesses will not change their greedy behavior and offer the consumer from the high prices. Consumers must do what all of do act in their self interest. They should be patriotic yet shop where they can maximize their hard earn dollar. It may be unfortunate that may be in Rock. But one has to do what one has to do.. what is the solution? The only way to cure scandalous, greedy businessmen or businesswoman from exacting a pound of flesh from their suffmering customers is a strong, healthy, quality dose of competition. BVi businesses need competition that will cut into their profit like a razor sharp knife slice through warm butter. Reduce profits will jolt them to let go reluctantly of their greed. Merchants have the goods and services but consumers have money and the choice of where they spend their money. There is power in numbers. Consumers should boycott or shop very. Sparingly at greedy businesses that are gouging them. Several 100 % markup on an item is gouging the consumers. They take risks and should make a reasonable profit, not an exorbitant profit. Have a heart; how can you sleep at night. hand cannot clap; it takes two to tangle. Thus, if businesses will not change their behavior
  - My $0.02 (26/02/2012, 18:57) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Quiet Storm I hope that no dollar value comment means that you agree with me because I'm a little confused with that statement. Otherwise what you are saying I support 100 %. Free markets not protectionism is the only way to ensure that prices are competitive. Because the locals insist on overpricing their products that market will include overseas competition. I am all for supporting the economy however the government has to understand that the economy includes the consumer as well. The government cannot be passing legislation benefiting the very same people that are currently killing us hoping that they suddenly get a conscience.
tell the truth to we the people (26/02/2012, 11:05) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
The NDP and their Washington advisors should have told them that trickle down economics of Ragan has failed…do they even watch the news our study American politics????? It was another republican George Bush the father described it as vidoo economics...here we are now in the BVI giving a tax break to the rich business class and telling we poor people and middle class it will trickle down to we. The NDP is a failure and cannot change their philosophy...Poor we for the next four years!!!
Just saying (26/02/2012, 19:32) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
Like I've been all the time this is yet another example of the rich helping the rich get richer under the guise of helping the poor. The business owning ministers along with the other businesses in the BVI are the ones who will benefit from the Bill as the real intention all along!
- another look at the bill (26/02/2012, 23:24) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
  i could not agree with you more "just saying" for the passage of that bill by the NDP can only be described as a gross case of big time deception. All that glitters is not gold...spin and Myron and Mark screaming on the top of their voices trying to justified this silly and ridiculous bill will not change the facts for the public who are really paying attention when the mascara is removed, the intent of this one sided bill becomes very obvious. The Bill in question is designed to relieve the business community only! and the rest of us must suck salt. the bill will not do a damm thing to help encourage we to 'BUY LOCAL' therefore one could identify with Kesmitt and her interview. When listening to the debate and hearing Myron, Mark, Ronnie and Delores saying and implying it is time that the business community to get back something...my people that says it all!!!!!!!!!!!!. It is crystal clear that the savings in question is intended to serve the interest of the businesses and not we the consumers, not we the poor and little people. One can understand why Mark, funny man Myron and Ronnie were so passionate and supportive of the bad Bill. All I can say is yes we will continue going over to St . Thomas unless this NDP government is maddeningly serious about helping the middle class and the poor, and with their track record in 4 months shows that they are not!!!!
wellsaid (27/02/2012, 09:39) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
She might RUN FOR OFFICE in the next four year what a thing hang on a string LOL
Gost (27/02/2012, 14:37) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
She ungreatful self

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I have no choice but to shop in St. Thomas - VIslander

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