The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Super Value will bring in new staff to help with its Value Added Tax (VAT) re-pricing for the January 1 switch to 10 percent from 12 percent.

Debra Symonette, Super Value’s president, told Tribune Business: “We are going to make the changes in the system so that on January 1 all that our customers have to do is bring their items to the register and they will be charged the 10 percent.”

Changing the pricing in the computer system is the easy part, however changing the prices on the shelves will be “challenging,” as it is very labour intensive. But, Ms Symonette understands they have 90 days in order to get the pricing on the shelves corrected. “As soon as the 10 percent is effective, then we’ll start pricing,” she said.

“We will have the regular pricing people doing it and we’ll probably get some assistance for them. Everything else is running smoothly for January 1.”

Dwayne Higgs, general manager of WHIM Automotive, also said: “We have been through this before with regard to our registers, we did this when they first implemented VAT, we did it again when they raised it from 7.5 percent to 12 percent and now we will do it again when it goes back to 10 percent.”

He added: “Now with the labelling, we have three months. So the labels will take some time. But we’re going to take advantage of the full three months and just do it slowly a little bit at a time.

“But one good thing about the way that we price is that I put the price and then I put the price with VAT, so as far as my price labels that will still be accurate with regard of the price of the good before VAT.”

All goods as supposed to be VAT inclusive prior to being rung up at the cash register, so if all merchants are in line with the law then the re-labeling of stock should be lengthy process.

Mr Higgs also said: “As shipments come in we’ll switch things over and whatever is not done or hasn’t come in will be done by the end of that three months. Most of what w sell is car specific, so I cant put an alternator out there for somebody to come and pick it up and look at it. Most of what we have is in the back.”

WHIM Automotive has a very small shop area in the front because as a car parts store, most of their items are in the back warehouse and customers would have to enquire about products so “labeling shouldn’t be an issue,” said Mr Higgs.