Gov't Defends Hike In Cruising Permit Fees

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Melissa Edwards/BVI Platinum News

(PLTM) - Ministers of government are defending the move to increase the cruising permit fee for guests on yachts by some 300 percent. This is after 27 years of having no increase.

During the debate of the Cruising Permit (Amendment) Act, 2017, Hon. Ronnie Skelton, Minister of Health and Social Development said he finds the uproar over the fee increase within the yachting industry as silly.

"This is becoming so ridiculous that couple of my friends met me and (said) we are chasing charter boats out of the country because they are telling them that we are increasing the fees 300 per cent ...And they are quite right that’s what we did 300 per cent, from $2 to $6 and $4 to $16," he said today, May 29 in the House of Assembly.

Under the proposed bill, in-season (from December 1-April 30) cruising permit fee for home charters boat will be $6 per person; foreign base-$16; and for out-of-season (May 1 to November 30)- home based charter boats cruising permit fee will be $2.25 per person; and foreign base charter- $8.

Hon. Skelton said that persons want the government to build better infrastructure and a better life for residents, but do not want to pay taxes, and fees.

"Everybody wants the government to provide facilities –docks, immigration, customs clearances; wants government to keep the water clean, anchor buoys in the water but no one wants to pay for these things."

He said that the increase will not hurt visitors.

"Arguing about $2, $6 sends the wrong message. The charter boats owners should not do this, the guests will be paying…We need to raise revenue to do the things we need to do."

Meanwhile, Minister of Education and Culture, Hon. Myron Walwyn, said that the BVI should not be afraid to increase fees, noting that they must know the value of the BVI.

"Don’t tell me that people will stop coming to the beautiful BVI because we are charging $6 per day to be on a vessel, we have to be realistic…Make sure that once we raise the revenue we put it to good use for the preservation of the BVI."

He also disagreed with the proposal in the bill where there is a separation of in-season and out-of-season.

"I don’t think there should be discrimination for in-season and out-of-season; there should be one season...The rates of $6 and $16 are reasonable rates throughout because the very same issues we have to address we have to address them year round," he said.

Hon. Walwyn said: "Why should we be afraid to charge for what we have? We should not be because we must know what we have and take care of it properly."

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