When Parliament meets for its first time following the December 18, 2009 General Elections on Thursday, a bill for the imposition of a departure tax on travelers leaving Dominica will be brought on the table for approval.
The main objective of the bill is to provide for the collection of departure tax by appointing the Dominica Air and Sea Port Authority or any other persons that the minister may by order appoint as the collector of the departure tax from travelers leaving Dominica.
According to the new bill, nationals will pay $40 while non nationals will pay $50 both by sea and air.
Meanwhile, certain categories of persons will be exempt from paying departure tax. Such persons include students certified by the ministry of education proceeding to educational institutions for the purpose of study; distressed persons whose repatriation has been authorized by the national security minister as a matter of public policy; guests of the government of Dominica as certified by the financial secretary; and members of diplomatic missions and ministers or officials of Dominica traveling on government business.
Transit passengers leaving Dominica, as certified by the financial secretary and any person who satisfies the financial secretary that he is in poor circumstances and intends to return, or is leaving Dominica solely for the purpose of seeking necessary medical advice or treatment, will also be exempt.
Children under the age of 12 and the crew of any type of vessel – steamship, sailing, or other vessel or craft are also exempt from paying the departure tax.
Why are we always so far behind when it comes to such things ? Just include all taxes in the cost of the ticket. Have you any idea how embarassing it is when leaving melvillehall on the first flight and liat ‘s personel can find no change ? TAKE this bill right back to tthe gabbage bin. Just bring a new bill to the house stating the exemptions to be made and when the exemptions will take effect. { off course it must be debated in parliament} I want to just check- in and go about my business.
It won`t work. only if you traveling on a donkey…. . Alot of people purchase tickets on line. so what going to happen. you think Liat going to raise price of tickets to please Government after we saying liat fares so high. Government need to remove that Departure tax period….if we really want people to come to Dominica. Ross students are the only set of ‘real regular travelers’ to Dominica and i`m not sure whether they paying departure tax or not.
I believe this departure tax as we call it is putting a serious damper on persons willing to travel to Dominica. Look at our french neighbors of Guadeloupe and Martinique, you walk in and out and no tax. I believe some arrangement should be made between Government and the airlines to include the departure tax in the purchase of tickets. Believe me it can be embarassiing and sometimes can throw you off especially if you didn`t budget for it.
Why is Dominica so backward? I personally think that the departure tax should be added when the ticket is bought and no money be handled at the airport or seaport! And, that $5 is a joke! Come on! Making it lower does not make it better!
Govt is out of touch, i was home last January and paid $50.00,so whats new,bring issues to the table that affects the daily lives of dominicans.
As far as I know we are already paying departure tax when we “check-in” at the Airport. So please explain to me what this is because one would get the impression that currently no departure tax is paid.
Secondly, why don’t we do like Barbados etc and just include it in the price of the ticket? Makes like so much easier.
mm
So what is this bill actually changing?
In November 2008, I paid EC$50 departure tax at the LIAT check-in desk.
Is Government saying LIAT has not been handing over that tax, which why a new bill is being brought?
just asking because i really don’t know but is it true that every other island in the caribbean’s departure tax included in liat ticket fare?
travelled from dca, st lucia, antigua, st kitts, st maarten, st vincent and a few others and i never had to pay departure tax becuz it was already included in the ticket. so y cant we implement the same system?
Whats the difference with what exists and what is to be implemented? Sports groups also got exemptions under the already existing arrangement. This seems like we are re inventing the wheel.
oh lord!!! i hate when dominicans say what they want.. You were in trini and had to pay 200tt. thats not true. I am a dominican and i left and came back into trini and didnot pay 200tt. If u buy yr ticket in trinidad the tax is 100tt (42 ec) and its added on yr ticket. u eh pay that from trini at all. when u buy the ticket by liat it’s included.
i travel to trinidad and my brother was under the age of 12 and i had to pay his 200 ttdollars departure tax.
Apart from the $5.00 I guess you’ll have to pay it not on the counter with LIAT or American but at the departure lounge like some other CARICOM islands like Vincie.
To me there is no change to the already departure tax. lol
My guess is that in the past there were not all these exemptions and maybe it was not imposed on all ports of departure. But why does it have to be the Financial secretary approving exemptions. Transit passengers have to go to the Financial secretary too? How practical is that? Makes no sense. …what is this about travel by steamship..come on legal officer, stop blindly copying on previous acts. There are no steamships anymore. This technology died in the 60s.
They will reduce port charges by 20% but will put the 20% else where for us to pay.That is just te beginning.
Answer , the answer is: $5.00
Everything is something!!!
As far as i can remember there is alresdy a departure fee in place already. Is this an addition ?
Continue with the mission of development PM Skerrit.
Someone please explain to me how this is different from what is in place now?