1. Stop Them At The Ports – TAJ Plans Desperate Measures To Collect Outstanding Tax Revenue. With tax revenues running $7.6 billion behind projection as at October, the Government is moving to place obstacles in the way of delinquent taxpayers who have to travel overseas to sustain their local enterprises. The tax authorities are getting ready to impose stop orders, barring persons from leaving the country. [Read more on Jamaica-Gleaner.com]
2. Smokers To Pay More. The Gleaner can confirm an earlier report it carried that, as of next week, cigarette smokers will have to pay more to puff away. At the same time, the Government is set to rake in an additional billion dollars above projection from the taxes of cigarettes manufactured by Carreras. Effective Monday, a carton of Craven A and Matterhorn brands will be increased from $2,500 to $2,650. [Read more on Jamaica-Gleaner.com]
3. Government To Shell Out $400m More To Sandy Victims. The Government has already forked out $233 million to thousands of persons across three eastern parishes whose houses were damaged during the passage of Hurricane Sandy in October. [Read more on Jamaica-Gleaner.com]
4. We’ll Ensure Order In FX Market, Says Phillips. The country’s finance minister, Dr Peter Phillips, yesterday warned that the Government would not sit idly by and allow speculative pressure to build up on the Jamaican dollar. [Read more on Jamaica-Gleaner.com]
5. Brace For Higher Used-Car Prices, Says JUCDA. The Jamaica Used Car Dealers’ Association (JUCDA) is urging customers to brace for higher prices come next year as several variables it says are out of the control of traders will contribute to increased costs. [Read more on Jamaica-Gleaner.com]
6. Big First For Alia – Swimmer Bags Historic Silver At Short Course Champs. Alia Atkinson created history at the FINA World Short Course Swimming Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, yesterday, when she became the first Jamaican swimmer to win a medal at a global tournament. [Read more on Jamaica-Gleaner.com]
