The Anguilla House of Assembly has granted a retrospective customs duty and tax exemption to a faith-based charity for a gospel event it hosted this summer.
Inspire Network is a charitable movement dedicated to transforming the lives of young adults by bridging the gap between faith and career opportunities.
On 16 August, it hosted ‘Brunchin on Blessings’ – an all-inclusive gospel brunch featuring performances from a wide range of musical talent.
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The event saw attendance from a large crowd, who came out to Dames restaurant dressed in pastel colours to enjoy the day despite heavy rains.
Inspire Network founder Janique Gumbs applied to the government for a tax and duty exemption of EC$656.43 for items imported specifically for the brunch.
This included dishes, paper towels, canvas bags, artificial flowers, glass vases, wooden tableware, patio awnings, metal baskets, paper cups, twine, display racks and other items.
Premier Cora Richardson Hodge moved the motion for the tax break during the 14 October meeting of the Anguilla House of Assembly.
She read out a “detailed breakdown” of the Inspire Network submitted by Gumbs which said its mission is to create engaging workshops, job fairs and immersive experiences.
The aim is that they expose young people “not only to the dynamic world of event management, but also to the transformative power of seeking Christ”, the premier said.
“Funds raised and exemptions granted for Inspire are directly reinvested into programmes that provide essential resources for executing impactful job fairs and skills based workshops,” she continued.
“These initiatives equip equip young adults with tangible employable skills while fostering personal and spiritual growth.”
Rising in support of the motion, opposition member Haydn Hughes said Gumbs had been working on the project and submitted documents “quite some time ago”.
He said the Brunchin on Blessings event “went off very well” despite the “blessings that came from heaven on that particular night”.
“I just wish to commend her on the work that she has been doing with young people. If each one of us does more work with young people, we can really save our country,” he added.
Members approved the motion for the customs duty and tax exemption – backdated from 20 May this year to 21 May 2026.
