Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh has announced the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on cement with effect from today, April 29, 2022.
It would be recalled that the government had previously announced in Budget 2020, the removal of VAT on building and construction materials where VAT was imposed after 2014.
At the time that this measure was implemented, Cement was not impacted because Cement had previously attracted VAT prior to 2015.
The government’s removal of VAT on Cement reflects recognition of the importance of Cement as a key input for the construction of residential dwellings as well as commercial buildings and is in line with the Government’s vision for providing relief to citizens as well as supporting the housing drive. This measure is expected to provide substantial support to the local economy.
The government has previously also removed VAT from water, electricity, basic food items and household necessities. The government’s expectation is that the removal of VAT from Cement will be passed on to final consumers through appropriate adjustments in the final price charged.
