Topic: duty waiver

The Cayman Islands government has agreed to refund Doctors Hospital $300,000 in import duty that it paid on medical equipment.

The building boom that has seen more than a dozen 10-storey office, condo and hotel buildings spring up across Grand Cayman over the past few years has been encouraged and incentivised by the policy decisions of successive governments.

Grand Court Judge Richard Williams has awarded no costs in relation to a legal challenge made last year by Doctors Hospital against the government over duty waivers and other concessions given to Health City.

Individuals facing costly import duties to bring in medication to treat their medical conditions could soon be able apply for duty waivers using a form as part of of simplified application process.

A Grand Court judge has described as "inappropriate" the granting of decades-long duty, stamp and work permit fee waivers, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, to Health City Cayman Islands in 2010.

Members of the Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday questioned officials on why government still does not have an official policy in place for granting duty waivers and concessions.

Current and future governments are not bound by deals signed by the previous United Democratic Party and Progressive-led administrations granting hundreds of millions in tax waivers and concessions to new hospital projects, the Grand Court heard on Wednesday.

Cabinet has agreed to remove import duty from a variety of essential items, including  diapers, feminine-hygiene items, baby food and baby carriages.

Cabinet has approved import duty waivers for all brands of COVID-19 lateral flow tests.