The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Retailers are not enthused about the back to school value added tax (VAT) holiday set to run from August 31 to September 20.

James Wallace, owner/operator of Janaees Uniform Centre, told Tribune Business yesterday he seriously doubts that people will be coming in for uniforms because students are still mandated to take their classes virtually due to the COVID-19 precautions. He added: “The period that they gave the exemption on the school uniform side should be longer until they go to actually getting in-person school.”

Mr Wallace also said: “I believe the government should consider extending it for uniform items after September 20, other than that I don’t see it as beneficial because as it stands now most people don’t have funds, so why are they going to spend money on uniform that they do not need today?”

The government first announced the back to school VAT holiday during the 2020/2021 budget debate, with an official date targeted for the start of the school year, which was assumed to be in mid-August. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the proposed target date to the second week in September for school to begin virtually. With minister for education Jeffrey Lloyd telling reporters outside of cabinet office that the ministry still intends to reopen public schools on September 21, with virtual education first and then move on to “blended learning” to be a combination of virtual and face-to-face classrooms, as of October 5.

Mr Lloyd also said: “Now the only thing that can change or will change is if the competent authority makes another order (emergency order) that is going to affect that. This is as clear as I can be. School will open on the 21st of September, 2020 at the regular hours online. It is our intention, that after about three weeks, we are going to move into what we consider, blended learning, or some sort of consolidation with online and face-to-face and our anticipation for that is October 5.”

Mr Wallace said about this possibility that: “To me this is not helpful, there are going to be one or two persons in a better financial position I’m sure, but nine times out of ten I doubt it. This back to school has been a complete disaster because our sales has been 95 percent down.”

“I do not expect to have much business start on August 31 because there is no in-person school requirements.”

He added: I don’t know what this blending learning is going to be and how much, but my business has some challenges to overcome due to the fact that I am predominantly a school uniform supplier and there is no real in-person school attendance. So where persons would need uniforms for the whole week, they only need it now for one day.”

Mr Wallace also said that this VAT holiday should be extended up to the day they begin in-person instruction for persons who sell school uniforms, “If you are trying to help these people then uniform garments should be extended until the day they start in-person school.”

“COVID-19 has helped me no way, shape or form. Fortunately we do manufacturing so we were able to manufacture some masks, which has been a help, but all I have operating in my business now are tailors because business has been effectively suspended,” said Mr Wallace. “Unfortunately, prior to the COVID-19 shutdown my shipment had already arrived and so I have everything there just sitting in stock.”

Stationery suppliers felt no differently as Ms Pazia Bowe, general manager of Nassau Stationers Ltd, said: “This VAT Holiday is only on school supplies, pens and pencils, folder sheets and stuff and usually it isn’t anything much. I honestly don’t know what will happen so I am waiting on Monday.”