Finance Minister Audley Shaw last night announced an increase in the departure tax and a further hike in GCT on phone calls and instruments near the end of a marathon sitting of Parliament’s Standing Finance Committee at Gordon House.

Shaw said that the airport departure tax will move from $1,000 to $1,800, while the tax on phone calls and instruments - which was increased from 16.5 per cent to 20 per cent in April this year - will now move to 25 per cent.

The increases become effective tomorrow and will yield $1.7 billion that Shaw said will close the budget deficit.

Source: Jamaica Observer