British Virgin Islands: Health Minister, Ronnie Skelton, said it is time to raise the departure tax at the territory’s seaports because most visitors are entering and exiting the Road Town and West End seaports, the BVInews.com reported.
Contributing to the recent budget debate, Skelton noted that the airport departure tax is $20 and the seaport departure tax is only $5.
The BVInews.com said that Skelton pointed out, “If these people are going to assist us or help us so that they can leave money on our shores, so we could fix the seaports and airports, we have to raise the departure tax at the seaports.”
“I know the little man who use it, it’s not the right thing because he has to come up with $20, but as a country we have to stop thinking just about ourselves but let us think about the country. None of us like what we see at West End Ferry Terminal and the Road Town Ferry Terminal. The facilities need to be developed, so we have to raise the revenues, raise the capital to do these things so that all of us can be proud for what we have. And I think nothing is wrong in making such a decision because a huge amount of the tourists who are now travelling because of what is happening in the US Virgin Islands, in St. Thomas, where all those major jets are landing, people are catching the ferries and coming to Road Town and West End, and they are going back through the same way. They are not going through the airport, and this money will come into the revenue of the country,” Skelton added.
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