Le Nouveau Seychelles Weekly was reliably informed last week that the Trade Tax Division was still charging importers GST on the importation of solar heating systems. This is despite a statement made by the Minister of Finance, Mr. Danny Faure, to the National Assembly that the government would remove GST altogether on the importation of solar panels to encourage the use of solar energy in preference to fossil fuel..
After further inquiry we discovered that in fact the Trade Tax Division has been falsely charging importers, GST. When there should have been an exemption in force on the importation of solar heating equipments.
There is more to this situation than you think – it goes to show that there is no clear line of communication between ministers’ offices generally and the various departments or divisions operating under their control. How on earth could something advocated by a government minister in the National Assembly captured by SBC cameras and aired on National Television over six months ago still not being enforced by a government division sharing the same building as the minister. Steve Jardin the Commissioner of Revenue who heads the Trade Tax Division should take full responsibility of this fiasco and must organize a refund without delay for all importers who have been affected by this situation.