Chamber Issues “Official Correction”
The Chamber of Commerce issued an “official correction” this afternoon [Feb.14] saying it is “premature for any member of The Chamber to refer to a Shipping & Courier Division,” as it does not exist.
This statement comes after media reports that the Chamber of Commerce Shipping Division called on Premier Paula Cox to abandon any proposed duty rate increases on imported personal items.
The reports were based on comments from Steve Thomson, said to be the spokesman for the Shipping Division. Mr. Thomson has already been an outspoken critic of duty hikes in his private role as president of Mailboxes.
That was a differing view from a statement issued last month by the Bermuda Chamber of Commerce’s Retail Division, who stated their support for “an across the board, standardized duty rate of 25%.”
In the statement issued this afternoon, a Chamber of Commerce spokesperson said, “A proposal has been received by the Chamber of Commerce to create a new Shipping & Courier Division.
“In accordance with The Bermuda Chamber of Commerce Act 2000, certain processes and procedures have to be completed to create a new Division.
“Until these procedures have been completed, it is premature for any member of The Chamber to refer to a Shipping & Courier Division. This stands as an official correction to statements made of late in the local media.”
A spokesperson went on to say that Mr Thomson’s comments “cannot at this time, be positioned as representative of a Chamber division which does not currently exist.”
Putting the horse before the cart. lol I just came from mailboxes today, cost more to ship something out than it did to buy it, locally of course.
Go ahead Mr. Steve Thomson, fight to save your business. After all, there are no guarantees that any business venture will be or stay successful.
Is there any business in Bermuda that is too big or small to fail? Excluding BELCO.
This is hallarious. This guy talks so much ish. I’m guessing he’ll be rolled out by the OBA next week.
Don’t know about his political status, and nothing in the story talks about it. Might be that he is trying to keep his workers,……working and earning a paycheck?
Does everything have to be about PLP/OBA?
Suggest you learn how to spell and write.
Proof that in Bermuda all one needs is a mouth and the microphone will follow. No-one ever questions the legitimacy of people who purport to speak for a particular sector or group. As long as they are criticizing the Government, off to the front page they go. Now maybe every idiot with a beef will be questioned as to his “currency” to speak as an authority on a subject before we run off and legitimize the comments, the position and the individual. The best and the brightest will never be attracted to political or pubic service if they have to spend their time dealing with idiots like this guy.
I want to know why it is just Mr Thomson and Mr Nelmes that has come out and said anything about the ‘proposed’ increase… Wonder why ZipX and the others are not saying anything…
They’re probably waiting for the Government to actually propose it. Steve Thompson decided to preempt the Government’s decision, so maybe he should have reached out to the other shippers in order to talk with a collective voice. Instead, he decided to go at it with Nelmes.
Non issue.
This Mailbox shipping business is not what you may think.Cost me $149.00 to ship a camera i purchased in the states that weighed less than 3 pounds.I would have been better to bring it with me through customs and pay the duty.By the way I enjoy snarning and being rude to the fat ladies at customs when they open my carry on and have to handle my dirty underware.
You may have paid a total of $149 including duty, but the Mailbox shipping for a 3 pound camera did not cost $149.
The duty part of what you paid will be much greater, of course, if Paula Cox goes ahead with putting up duty to 35%. Then your $149 goes up to $200 or whatever.
Obviously, you get a kick out of paying extra taxes. You’re one of those people that enjoys paying more for something. Hard to understand, quite honestly, but that’s essentially what you’re saying.
Just think if you had to have gone through Customs at the Airport, you would be paying more for the camera because you had to buy the plane ticket, pay the Duty at the airport of 35% as well as the cost of the camera.
just cant fix stupid now can we