The owners of a healthy drinks cafe in South Hill have been given a customs duty tax waiver amounting to nearly EC$12,800 to cover equipment and supplies for two years.
However, Cardigan and Melisha Niles of The Juice Bar will still have to pay duty on items that are bad for the environment including plastic lids and food containers.
Premier Ellis Webster, who also serves as finance minister, put forward a motion to waive the duty in the Anguilla House of Assembly on 27 September.
He said the Customs Duty Exemption Policy of 1998 recognises the need to actively promote economic development and diversification by stimulating the growth of the private sector.
“A critical responsibility of government is to encourage local entrepreneurs to invest substantially in the Anguillian private sector,” the premier explained.
Webster said that granting the exemption supports the objectives of the government and promotes the development of The Juice Bar, which serves to provide a healthier lifestyle to the public.
“We continue as an administration to make the necessary steps to make it easier for our people to enjoy healthy living, because a healthy nation is a wealthy nation,” he concluded.
Positive impact
Kenneth Hodge, Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Labour, Constitutional Affairs, Information and Broadcasting, Lands and Physical Planning, rose to support the motion.
He told parliament that the owners of The Juice Bar are both entrepreneurs, and stressed that entrepreneurship promotes economic growth.
“It provides access to goods and services and improves the overall standard of living. Entrepreneurs also make a positive impact on their communities,” the minister said.
He said the fact that two young people and so many others across Anguilla are realising their ambitions to make a difference, to be self employed and chart their own piece of the Anguilla dream is significant.
“We know that the whole act of entrepreneurship creates independent, self employed individuals who can live up to their full potential.”
Haydn Hughes, Minister of Infrastructure, Communications, Utilities, Housing and Tourism, also rose in support of the motion and congratulated the two business owners.
He said Melisha Niles spoke of the possibility of having a juice bar “many, many years ago” and started doing juice deliveries in 2019 before opening The Juice Bar in 2020.
“It has continued to grow and continued to provide a service not only to the local community but the tourists alike,” he said.
The minister said he is happy to see The Juice Bar owners expanding and upgrading their business, and bringing in new equipment to provide a greater service.
The premier, in his response, thanked the members who spoke for understanding that “this is a small business worth supporting”.
All members voted unanimously for the motion and it was passed.
