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Flower growers ask for local sales without VAT
Posted On 20 Sep 2018
Ecuadornews:
The Association of Producers and Exporters of Flowers of Ecuador (Expoflores), formed by more than 184 members, asked for the elimination of the value added tax (VAT) in the purchase of local flower.
The chairman of the board, Juan José Albuja, made the request to President Lenín Moreno, yesterday at the inauguration of Expoflor Ecuador 2018, at the Metropolitan Convention Center of Quito that opened its doors for the first time.
Albuja invited the government to open dialogue with the sector at that point and others such as balance in air cargo and lower the cost of registration and maintenance of flower varieties.
On VAT, Pablo Campana, Minister of Foreign Trade, said that the Government is always open to evaluate alternatives, with the cost-benefit analysis, the impact it would generate. “But beyond that, we have to focus on opening to new markets, which is where Ecuador needs to recover that competitiveness that other countries in the region are having because they export with zero tariffs.”
In 2017, flowers were the fourth non-oil export product in Ecuador, these sales represented about $ 800 million and generates more than 130,000 sources of employment.
Expoflor is open until the 21st of this month, with 115 exhibitors from Colombia, Ecuador and Holland. (I)
