Finance ministry extends Hurricane Melissa duty and GCT relief to January 15

KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Ministry of Finance and the Public Service has announced a two-week extension to the relief of import duties and General Consumption Tax (GCT) in response to Hurricane Melissa.

“We understand that due to the Christmas season and the intervening holidays, the capacity of shippers, freight forwarders, brokers and the ports was significantly constrained. As a result, some donors may not have had their donations arrive on or before December 31, 2025, which was the cut-off date for relief of import duty and GCT upon the importation of selected items,” the ministry said in a media release.

As such, the ministry said the Government is extending the period to January 15, 2026, which will be a hard stop.

“While the Government of Jamaica welcomes the gifts and donations, the decline in tax revenues at Customs since Hurricane Melissa has been significant, totalling approximately $12 billion,” the ministry said.

“As Jamaica transitions from the relief phase to recovery and reconstruction, we ask our friends and families abroad to help by utilising the normal channels for items sent to Jamaica for relatives and friends, as the January 15, 2026 deadline is a hard stop with respect to the relief of import duty and GCT that was provided as a result of Hurricane Melissa,” it added.