He who feels it - Knows it
Being forced to pay import duty on this publication, becauseit is categorised in the Customs Tariff Law (1999) revision asa "... newspaper printed overseas containing predominantlymatters of local interest " hits us where it hurts ... inour slim pockets.
It was only last week that we thanked our advertisers and you- our readers for your support which has propelled us ... quitequickly into respectable acceptance across the board of this community.
At Cayman Net News, we are being told over and over again, weare a breath of fresh air ... encouraging ... bringing transparencyto previously masked, and sometimes managed presentation of thenews, for whatever reasons.
Following the delay we experienced in putting this particularissue to bed - because of the amount of time spent in trying toresolve this unjustified hindrance - we were compelled to respondto the local media who were inquiring about this latest development:
The following is the Press Release weissued:
After publishing ten issues of Cayman Net News weekly newspaperwhich has been widely accepted across the community and overseas- as well as three earlier monthly editions of the Cayman IslandsBusiness & Tourism News, the publishers are suddenly facedwith a ruling by the Collector of Customs that their publicationis now subject to duty as it is, quote, a "a newspaper printedoverseas with a predominance of local interest."
Heretofore Cayman Net News have not had to pay any duty, and soanother has another local newspaper printed overseas, The CaymanIslands Community and Christian News.
Publisher and Editor of Cayman Net News, Mr. Desmond Seales, saidthat he taken up the matter with the Financial Secretary Mr. GeorgeMcCarthy and the Minister responsible for Commerce Mr. ThomasJefferson, after making representation to the Collector of Customs,Mr. Carlon Powery who said, it was "pointed out to him"that duty should be paid on Cayman Net News.
In the meantime the Community and Christian newspaper, along withall other newspaper printed overseas from Jamaica, the US, England,Canada and elsewhere do not pay import customs duty.
Mr. Seales contests the ruling by the Collector of Customs, stating,that the term "matters of local interest" is ambiguousas it is open to more than one interpretation. He said: "Mattersof Local interest could very well be news from all over the world... not the Cayman Islands ... because we are now an internationaljurisdiction ... and what could be of 'interest' to some individuals... may not be of the interest of all. Therefore the terminologycould only lead to doubt."
He continued: "If the phrase 'predominantly matters of local"content" or "news" was used - as it was doneback in 1984 when we published the Nor'wester magazine's CaymanPilot newspaper .. although the duty back then was punitive ...we could very well not argue that it is correct as passed in law.This imposed duty back then - 16 years ago, certainly helped tobring about the demise of the Nor'wester."
In the meantime, the publishers of Cayman Net News weekly newspaper,was told this morning that this matter is still being addressed... and a response may be forthcoming ... after the ExecutiveCouncil discusses the matter further.
Thankfully ... the Internet has given us a window to the world... and it will know, through our International website how thosein authority in the Cayman Islands attempt to frustrate this media.
We now rest our case - with the Government - and you ... our readers.