BUSINESSES ENCOURAGED TO STRICTLY ADHERE TO COVID-19 MEASURES FOR CROWDED VAT DAYS IN DECEMBER

Basseterre, St. Kitts, November 19, 2020 (SKNIS): Businesses and enterprises in St. Kitts and Nevis are strongly encouraged to develop robust capacity rotation plans to ensure social distancing and limit congestion during the Discounted Value Added Tax (VAT) Rate Days slated for December 18 and 19, 2020.

“I would encourage the development, a rotation, a plan to ensure social and physical distance, and reducing the crowded spaces. This is going to be very critical going forward,” said Abdias Samuel, Chair of the National COVID-19 Task Force on the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) COVID-19 Briefing for November 18, 2020. “We know that some businesses will see some high volume of persons entering their businesses for shopping and as such, we have to limit this in some way.”

Mr. Samuel encouraged businesses to reach out to the National COVID-19 Task Force for assistance if necessary.

Businesses are also asked to follow all other health and safety protocols that were established to keep everyone safe.

“I am appealing to the business places to develop a plan. It will be critically important for you to develop a plan as per sanitization and the process of ingress [enter] and egress [exit] from your enterprise,” he said. “We also have to look at the security component of the business – how would you deal with traceability, who comes in and who goes out, how long persons will remain inside of your enterprise or business and how do we safely carry out physical and social distancing. And equally so, how would you safeguard your staff, and workers during such a time.”

Consumers are also encouraged to play their part, adhere to all protocols, and assist businesses to effectively carry out their rotation plan.

“One of the discussions we had with one of the major business places is persons who like to come in and just socialize rather than shop, and at this point, you have to take that responsibility in ensuring that you don’t go there to socialize but rather you go to do business and leave,” said Mr. Samuel.
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