Bartlett firm on TEF increase
Published:Sunday | May 29, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Janet Silvera, Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett has no intention of backing down on the 100 per cent increase in the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), even as he chides the Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) for going public with the TEF/TPDCo merger.
Addressing stakeholders at the JHTA 50th anniversary Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Sunset Jamaica Grande, Ocho Rios, last Saturday morning, the minister said the US$10.00 tax to be absorbed by incoming airline passengers stands.
The tourism minister also declined to discuss the issue of the proposed merger of the TEF and the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), "I feel it is inappropriate, because there has been a lack of consultation and there has been no commitment so far," he told the gathering.
However, The Sunday Gleaner is aware that a white paper has already reached Parliament in relation to the merger.
His nonchalant attitude was not well received by the tourism body.
"Doubling the tax on our land-based visitors is a mistake, even if it is earmarked for marketing purposes," said outgoing president, Wayne Cummings in his address to the meeting.
He added: "We are not at odds over the JTB's needs. We are however, firmly opposed to the ease with which we can coldly double taxes on our valued customers, particularly after Jamaica led the charge in the UK about them doing the same thing."
Fearing that the country continues to be known for speaking through both sides of its mouth, Cummings implored the Government to look into this and meet the JHTA half way. The JHTA has proposed US$5.00 rather than $10.00 increase per passenger.
Adding his voice to the issue, Opposition spokesman on tourism, Dr. Wykeham McNeill argues that partnership is a two-way street. "It cannot be pronouncements and then bulldozing through government proposals even in the face of opposition from the industry and the Opposition," argued McNeill.
Like the JHTA, the Opposition vigorously opposes the merger and Dr. McNeill noted that the proposal was made in open paper in Parliament by the Public Sector Transformation Unit (PSTU).
He said the JHTA wrote to the head of the PSTU's head, Patricia Sinclair opposing this merger, based on the fact that the TEF collects funds and selects projects and oversees implementations. According to Dr McNeill when the PSTU returned to parliament they indicated that they agreed with the JHTA and was endorsing the portion that they remain as separate bodies.
No oversight
If merged, he said, there would be no oversight. In effect, the TPDCo would, without independent oversight, collect the TEF head tax, deliberate on how and where to spend it and by extension also provide the checks and balances for themselves, he argued.
However, he said the Government has now presented the white paper to Parliament.
He reiterated the Opposition's call that the TEF is safeguarded from frivolous things such as trips to Beijing and extravagant festival sponsorships, "It needs to be used for what it was intended to be used for", said Dr McNeill.
Cummings, in his speech, reiterated his organisation's concerns. "This is extremely worrying as from the genesis of the TEF it was clearly articulated that independent and transparent oversight was to be the Fund's hallmark.
The JHTA president warns that the merger will further bring the TEF, TPDCo and the ministry of tourism into disrepute.