Roseau, Dominica (TDN) The opposition United Workers Party (UWP) has criticized the government over its recent introduction of new taxes on the traveling public. Opposition Member of Parliament Norris Prevost says the "clandestine way of evading Parliamentary, media, and industry scrutiny of a very far reaching tax measure brings into serious question the credibility and trustworthiness of the Roosevelt Skerrit Government".
Prevost was reacting to government’s introduction of a new US $10 entry tax and a EC $ 5 EC security tax on visitors and nationals coming into Dominica. He accused the Dominica Labour Party government of introducing the tax "clandestinely and secretly."
On July 3, 2014 government invoked Section 74 of the Dominica Air and Sea Port Authority Act of 2006 to introduce the new measures and only brought it to the attention of Parliament at its most recent seating last week.
News of the new tax has led to a firestorm of criticism from the public and has forced the government to come out in its defense. Ports minister Rayburn Blackmore said the tax was introduced in an effort to get much needed revenue for the Dominica Air and Sea Ports Authority.
"The notion that the decision by way of a regulation to introduce a passenger facility fee of US$10 upon a particularly category of persons entering the ports of Dominica is very deceptive or dishonest is very unfortunate," he said.
Blackmoore also indicated that the decision to introduce the new fee had been deferred to allow other stakeholders throughout the country to further discuss the matter. He also claimed that his government would undertake a public education campaign on the matter.
"The measure was supposed to have been effected as of July 2014, but because we have not yet finalised the agreements with the International Air Transport Association that fee in itself has not been collected,” Blackmoore concluded.
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