Unauthorised use of Customs logo being investigated

A courier company's unauthorised use of the Customs and Excise Division's logo is being investigated, the agency said in a media release Wednesday.

A cropped version of the courier company's message relating to the tax waivers on computers, prominently featuring the Customs insignia and contact information was widely shared on social media Tuesday. This compounded confusion among people, who assumed the statement was official correspondence from the division, as they tried to understand if the waivers first announced on Friday night, via a tweet from Finance Minister Colm Imbert, were in force.

"Customs unequivocally states that there is absolutely no relation between the author of the document and the Division," the release said. The use of the logo was unauthorised and is "currently receiving the attention of the relevant authorities," it added. The misattributed statement was also quoted by some media outlets, despite it inaccurately placing Customs under the Ministry of Trade instead of the Ministry of Finance.

Late Tuesday evening, Imbert said in a tweet: "Apparently, the Customs & Excise logo was used unlawfully today to circulate an inaccurate statement about taxes on computers, falsely claiming that the Ministry of Trade must be involved to legitimise any waiver of taxes. This is engaging the attention of the authorities."

He had earlier tweeted images of the legal orders granting computers and mobile devices exemption from VAT and online purchasing taxes. The orders were dated September 4 and the waivers expire on December 31.