The Barbados Customs and Excise Department collected approximately $5.46 billion in revenue between 2023 and July 2026, while more than $3 billion was lost through concessions, waivers and suspected tax evasion practices, acting Comptroller of Customs Lynette Padmore has said.

Padmore made the disclosure on Sunday during the department’s 121st Anniversary Church Service at the Power in the Blood Assembly, Tudor Bridge, St Michael, where she outlined the challenges facing the department and its plans to modernise its operations.

She said revenue collection could have been higher if not for revenue foregone through concessions and waivers, as well as “fraudulent tax evasion practices of undervaluation and under-invoicing”.