Shaw to probe reports on Tourism Fund
Published:Wednesday | March 18, 2009 | 8:49 AM
The Finance Minister said he will be probing reports that money raised from tourist arrivals for the Tourism Enhancement Fund is not being paid over.
Audley Shaw would not comment extensively on the matter last night, saying the Tourism Minister Ed Bartlett is off the island.
Mr Shaw sought to assure that the matter would be getting his full attention.
Hotelier John Issa raised the issue yesterday.
Addressing a Rotary Club luncheon in New Kingston, Mr Issa said each tourist is required to pay US$10 and each cruise passenger US$2.
He says the money collected over a period should be paid over to the Tourism Enhancement Fund.
Mr Issa says more than $750 million collected from several cruise lines is yet to be paid into to the fund.
According to him, the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) and the Cruise lines have broken the law and have not collected the US$2 from stopover visitors.
An official from the tourism ministry has confirmed that the cruise lines have not been paying over the money collected from passengers.
However the official says the airlines have been paying over the US$10 charge per passenger.