THE EDITOR, Sir:
THIS IS an open letter to Cable and Wireless Jamaica and to the Ministry of Finance and Planning. Cable and Wireless recently published an advisory as to the GCT rates applicable to certain of its telecommunications services. According to the advisory, services attracting 20 per cent GCT include telephone calls using cellular and fixed lines and prepaid calling cards; while services attracting 15 per cent GCT include ring tunes and text messaging.
As a user of Cable and Wire-less Jamaica's prepaid cellular service, I would like clarification as to the following:
Having purchased a prepaid calling card on which 20 per cent GCT is paid, will a call utilising the dollar value from that calling card attract further GCT in the form of a reduction in the dollar balance? If so, is this not a case of double-taxation? I would in effect be paying twice for the consumption of the same item i.e. the units of call time on the card;
Apart from the issue of double taxation, if the dollar balance on a prepaid card (which attracts 20 per cent GCT) is used to purchase ring tunes or to send text messages (which attract 15 per cent GCT) am I entitled to a five per cent rebate on the GCT? (i.e., the difference between the 20 per cent GCT on the purchase of the card, which I believe assumes a use for making telephone calls, and the actual use for ring tunes or text messaging).
I anxiously await your response.
I am, etc.,
J. GRANT
judsg@hotmail.com
Kingston
Via Go-Jamaica
