• Submitted by: lena campos
• Business and Economy
• 07 / 20 / 2012

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The Cuban government announced on Tuesday that it will raise taxes on non-commercial goods brought in by travelers and packages shipped in from abroad beginning Aug. 2, according to the Official Gazette.

Passengers bringing in goods with a total value below 50.99 U.S. dollars are exempt from the import tax, but they will have to pay 10 U.S. dollars per kilo if the value exceeds that figure.

In order to relieve the burden for local Cubans whose average monthly income is about 20 U.S. dollars, the government allows them to pay the tax in Cuban pesos. Foreign travelers and Cubans living abroad will have to pay in the higher-value Cuban Convertible Pesos, known as CUC.

On June 18, the government also reinstated a tax on imported foodstuffs, a duty that had been suspended in 2008 after three hurricanes wreaked havoc across the island and led to widespread shortages. Many Cubans benefited from food packages sent by relatives and friends abroad.

Source: Xinhua News Agency