Beverly Nicholson-Doty, newly elected Chairman of the Council of Ministers for the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, and US Virgin Islands Commissioner of Tourism, has sent the message clearly that though the strategy to tackle the British Air Passenger Duty (APD) TAX may have to change, she is just as committed and passionate about continuing the fight in her new role.
Recently, this newspaper wondered if – in view of the continued stance of the British Government to maintain the taxes, as expressed in a letter to the CARICOM Chairman by its Chancellor George Osbourne – the new chairman would bother to pursue the cause with as much vigour as her predecessor Tourism Minister of St. Kitts, Ricky Skerritt.
Nicholson-Doty during a press conference held recently in St. Kitts, gave the assurance to reporters that she had no intention of stepping down or reducing the pressure on the British government. “The strategy of the APD Tax is that of the Caribbean Tourism Organisation, and regardless of [who] the chairman [is], the strategy remains in place. That is critical to the region,” she charged.
“Even within our own region, we recognise that individual governments need [to implement some means] in order for them to upgrade their facilities. In my own home territory it is a constant balance of getting the funds necessary to deliver the product to the client,” the Chairman opined.
She went on to explain that it was not the right to tax which CTO had taken issue with, rather the amount of tax imposed by the British Government. Calling it “onerous”, she said there was no regional tax that came any where close to the amount of revenue being collected by that Government. (RA)
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