This is an open letter to Danville Walker, the commissioner of Customs.

Dear Mr. Walker,

I am a Jamaican residing in Trinidad where I will be getting married in July. I sent wedding invitations for my Jamaican friends and family via courier (FedEx Express) to my mother on May 14. She contacted me on May 18, to say that they had arrived, but much to my surprise, she informed me that customs had held on to them.

I thought that this would have been to open and check the items, and then to have them sent on. Unfortunately, and much to my horror, she called me back on May 21 to inform me that she would have to pay customs duties/taxes in excess of J$8,000 on these invitations! I hope that there must be some mistake.

These invitations are not being sold to anyone; they are not for commercial purposes. They are individually addressed to recipients and have both my name and my fiancé's name printed on them. There are 52 invitations in all, each valued at US$3.00, for a total of US$156! How much duty can there be imposed on US$156 worth of what are essentially non-commercial documents? My mother is being charged over US$90 to collect them.

I am told that this is a new regulation instituted in the 2009-2010 Budget, where taxes are imposed on printed materials, like text books, etc.

I am pleading with your office to look into this matter. I am hoping that this case of taxing addressed wedding invitations, must be a misinterpretation of the new regulations. If I had mailed them would there have been taxes/duties imposed? I don't think so. If I had sent only one, or two or a ten for that matter by courier, would they have been taxed?

I desperately desire some feedback and clarification, as this situation, totally unforeseen, is causing me great distress at time when I could use a lot less.

I am, etc.,

DR. STEFAN HEMMINGS

kcheadboy96_97@yahoo.com

56 Hasmatali Lands

Pointe-a-Pierre

Trinidad