Dear Claudienne,

I was born in Jamaica but I am currently a UK citizen. I travel to Jamaica every year to visit my loving mother and other family members. I am asking you to seek clarification of an unfortunate incident that took place when I visited Jamaica on Monday, September 8.

My flight, TCX108 from Manchester City, UK, landed at the Sangster International Airport. After retrieving my luggage I was asked by a customs officer the following two questions :

(a) What flight did you come on? (b) Are you a student?

An immigration officer then removed me from the ‘nothing to declare’ queue and sent me to the ‘goods to declare’ queue.

When I joined the ‘goods to declare’ queue I noticed that most of the passengers on the flight with me had also been sent to this line. I found this really strange.

I had three laptops. One of them was mine, and the other two, which were very old (over five years), that I was taking for my siblings.

After the customs officer searched my belongings, my personal laptop was taken from me and I was told that I would have to pay J$14,700 to retrieve it.

I was also told that my allowance was US$500. I think that the allowance is unfair, considering that I live in the UK.

I do not believe that the US$500 allowance should apply to UK citizens as the US and UK are two totally different countries and the value of the two currencies is different.

I find the duty on my laptop distressing as I am a student and cannot afford to pay such a heavy fee.

MC

Dear MC

Tell Claudienne asked the Jamaica Customs Department to clarify the matter.

The director of operations at the Sangster International Airport replied to a query from the director, executive services Jamaica Customs Department as follows.

“After investigation of this matter, I find the information given by MC to be accurate. He had gifts of one (1) new and two (2) used laptops, clothing and shoes. The examining officer’s assessment of the gifts was that they were in excess of his US$500 allowance as stipulated.

“In keeping with the excellent customer service standard practised in this unit, the officer’s decision was to give him his full allowance on the clothing, shoes and the two used laptops and charge the taxable portion on the brand new laptop he was carrying. Consequently, had we given him the laptop and charged MC on the items of clothes and shoes, his duty payable amount would have been far greater, because laptops have no import duty payable.

“My conclusion is that the correct procedure was followed and the duty assessment was fair.”

After we advised you of the Customs response to our query you told us that your personal laptop was not brand new as Customs had stated. However, the customs officer insisted that you had informed them that your personal laptop was brand new.

To prove that your personal laptop was not brand new you would have to produce a receipt for the item, the spokesperson said.

In future, please travel with the receipts for computers or other electrical items you might wish to bring into the island.

Good luck.

Birth certificate error

Dear Claudienne,

On June 3, 2014, I went to the Portmore branch of the Registrar General’s Department to correct the entry number on my birth certificate. I have checked twice since then and the Spanish Town head office has not yet sent it over.

Could you please check with the RGD for me.

GH

Dear GH

We contacted the RGD and note that the errors on your birth certificate have been corrected and sent to the Portmore RGD. We see that you have collected the document.

Good luck.

Have a problem with a store, utility, a company? Telephone 936-9436 or write to: Tell Claudienne c/o Sunday Finance, Jamaica Observer, 40-42 1/2 Beechwood Avenue, Kingston 5; or e-mail: edwardsc@jamaicaobserver.com. Please include a contact phone number.