New ‘passenger facility charge’ for ferry passengers

Effective April 2, 2019 passengers using the ports of entry at the Ferry Terminal in Roseau and Portsmouth will now have to pay a ‘Passenger Facility Charge’ of $US32.00 or $EC86.00, on departure.

This information is contained in a letter dated February 26, 2019 by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Dominica Air and Seaport Authority (DASPA), Benoit Bardouille and addressed to Operations Supervisor at H.H.V Whitchurch & Co.Ltd, Hans Victor.

“As you are aware, SRO 23 of 2014 was gazetted on July 17, 2014 and every passenger entering Dominica from any seaport is required to pay to the Authority a Passenger Facility Charge of US$10,” the letter stated.

The letter continued, “After much discussion on the implementation of this fee, it was agreed that effective April 2, 2019, that the new fee will be collected at the Ferry Terminal in Roseau and the Port Office at Longhouse, Portsmouth directly from the passengers.”

Bardouille thanked the public for its cooperation and understanding as “we seek to improve on the services at the ferry terminal.”

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71 Comments

  1. Badbaje
    March 10, 2019

    This is a very slanted article. Read the article again. Read the official letter again. Then read the book “how to lie with statistics” Do not be like sheep being led to the slaughter.
    It is true there was already a charge in place. It may or may not have been known before, may or may not have been collected from individuals before.
    Calculate the “increase” in cost to the individual, it is not the new cost of 86 dollars, as some would believe or would like others to believe.
    Please read the book “how to lie with statistics”

    ADMIN: How is the article slanted? It reports what is stated in the letter and provides the full letter for context.

    • Ibo France
      March 11, 2019

      Babbage, what exactly are you trying to convey? You seem rather befuddled. Please desist from any further reading of that book that you have suggested we should read. It’s making you incoherent and detached from reality.

  2. Dominican
    March 10, 2019

    Mr. Bardouille’s letter is not very lucid. Are we to understand that effective 1April visitors to Dominica are subject to a U.S.$10 arrival tax plus a U.S.$.32 departure tax?
    – are these taxes applicable equally to Dominican- and non Dominican citizens.
    – are they applicable equally to visitors arriving by sea or by air.
    – are there any concessions, for instance for infants, old age pensioners etc.
    – which categories of passengers are exempt, such as cruise ship passengers, govt.officials/employees.
    A detailed, public clarification would be welcome.

    PS. I trust representatives of the travel/tourist industries, here and abroad have been informed?

    • World’s Moistest Jheri Curl
      March 11, 2019

      Dominica is already hard to get to
      Instead of making it accessible economically
      They’re making it harder and harder to justify a visit

    • Tracy
      April 2, 2019

      Right, when do the facts get to be public knowledge????? Paying to get back into your own country is wrong!

  3. Mike maya
    March 10, 2019

    The French ferries should take a stand and stop coming to Dominica after all its their customers that the Dominica government is extorting and you will see how fast that tax will disappear. DASPA should buy it own equipments instead of renting them for millions a month from companies with no name and unknown owners.

    • Dion
      April 4, 2019

      On one hand you hear no new taxes budget and midway they put it in you.
      It is my understanding that cruise ship passengers are exempted. If this is the case, the tax is highly immoral. For one cruise ship passengers harm the environment more than stay over visitors they also spend less than stayovers. The money spent by stayovers areite widespread yet they are punished for spending the most money. How much concession do we have to give them. Just now we will give our children and our wives as concession. Whenever I pay this tax it is my intention to take it back by all means necessary Mr Bardouille. And the ferries should stop coming until it is removed.

  4. Jumbie money
    March 10, 2019

    Bienvenido el que vino a leer comentarios, por favor disfrute su estadía. A la derecha tendrá los que critican y a la izquierda tendrá los defensores, más adelante tendrá los de la mala ortografía,al pasillo siguiente encontrará los que corrigen y se creen profesores luego tendrá el placer de ver los que hacen publicidad y ponen cadenas. Por último usted que vienen a ver comentarios tenemos palomitas gaseosas chicles cigarrillos; ojalá su visita haya sido placentera.

    ADMIN: Very funny.

    • March 10, 2019

      Why is the ADMIN responding to those who are voicing there opinions regarding the letter are they the voices of Bardouville or Victor because they are capable of responding for themselves. ONLINE printed what was sent to them it didn’t have any vulgarity or such so it was released but they should not be the ones to respond when someone have a question, person should address there concerns to the write or writers of the letter. ONLINE ADMIN is sending the wrong message by doing that.

  5. The Mouth
    March 10, 2019

    What is the charge for cruise ship passengers arriving and departing Dominica? Just saying

    • Dion
      April 4, 2019

      My understanding is that the tax doesn’t apply to cruise ship passengers. Ironically these are the people who cause the most damage to our ecosystem by crowding small spaces like Trafalgar falls and Emerald pool. Yet they get preferential treatment. Stay over visitors contribute more to our economy than cruise although stay over are lower. These cruise lines get to much concessions. It looks like we will soon give our daughters and wives as concession. That is one time I don’t support my Government. Put the tax on all and sundry no discrimination Me Bad Wheel.

  6. Winston Smith
    March 9, 2019

    This is in addition to departure tax ? So it costs about EC$140 to leave the island by ferry, on top of the base price of the ticket ? This island has gone stark raving mad.

  7. Grayson Stedman
    March 9, 2019

    Both the Airports, Canefirld and Charles-Douglas are operated and managed by the Dominica Air and Sea Ports Authority, the departure tax at the airport is EC$45.00 for nationals and EC$59.00 for non0nationals. Management of DASPA must tell why same rates are not applied at the ferry terminals.

  8. Young voter
    March 9, 2019

    The country nice! Boy…. As a young, hardworking person I can tell a person that I’m fed up of this government… And the sad thing is that the opposite also sucks! The opposition has no backbone.

    Yes Lord, this must be unreal

  9. Romeo Joseph
    March 9, 2019

    Labor working go labor go…. How on Earth that the government in is right mind without the approval of the country just impose such a fee on is ppl…. Disgraceful.
    I’m a born labor the the labor party of the great Rosie Douglas not those nincompoop they got running the country especially that fool Ian Douglas that represent my constituency. That what Dominican wants that’s what they get

  10. Mike maya
    March 9, 2019

    Them idiots from the north will ruin this country, no plans, no ideas, no innovations just get richer and squeeze Dominicans, Lennox you have my vote to investigate all the kick back schemes.

  11. The truth
    March 9, 2019

    Instead to lower the money they put higher. So much jumbi money government have, just give the terminals a 2million. Mr BADWILL already skerrit not raising my salary you making me pay more money to go gwada. Well I will pass back door because it cheaper and coastguard boat just fondcole for show and them police inside drinking whisky

  12. Toplet
    March 9, 2019

    Man why mister dosnt call the election for us to dump Mr ans his Cabalist out nor…. garson call the bloody election for us to put u and your gov by the road for the garbage truck to pick up.

  13. BMB
    March 9, 2019

    There’s none so blind as those who will not see…….! Domnik fini bat :roll:

  14. Pipo
    March 9, 2019

    I remember all the the big noise they were making only last August about a new ferry service coming to Portsmouth. Robert Tonge one of them, saying how French neighbours would come on day trips to do shopping here and connect tourists to Dominica coming to Guadeloupe by Norwegian airline. Norwegian not flying to Guadeloupe and Martinique again What would the French buy here anyway, even our bread is crap with that flour we must buy from St. Vinent or Grenada and now these smart Alice’s putting up tax for coming here. Why should Val ferry continue to come here. That is a lost cause man.

  15. kubulol
    March 9, 2019

    The Green island is becoming a Tax island !

  16. jungle
    March 9, 2019

    This is just another chapter in the political treatise entitled “How to Kill a Beautiful Country”, written by the permanent Government of Dominica,

  17. Giggles
    March 9, 2019

    The funny thing is majority of the people on here complaining will still vote for Skerrit in 2020. We’ll know he will throw a missive party for Dominicans to release some stress 😏 as they say. And guess what all this will be forgotten. So don’t worry to much about this it’s just a shock to the system for now

  18. Me
    March 9, 2019

    Benoit Bardouille must be a Genius!

  19. Natural Dominican
    March 9, 2019

    These are the type of things that the people must come together and protest against. What is the purpose of this fee. Is this an attempt to help Liat by discouraging seaport entry, since another airline does provide a cheaper option via seaport entry. Unemployment, education, crime, poverty. better life; these are the things worth arguing for. Instead we let these politicians use and manipulate us into thinking that who steal money or who ugly and such bs is important. Let us free our minds and vote for our education, out families, our future. It’s time the people take this vountry back. We in charge NOT government or opposition. They work for us.

  20. March 8, 2019

    If the goal is to facilitate transportation to Dominica, then this is an economically illiterate decision. More taxes are NOT the answer.

  21. little yout
    March 8, 2019

    With the worst minister of tourism ever in the entire world, Robbie is making sure no one beats his negative numbers, which is the worst anywhere in the world. Robbie will be very happy if no one comes to Dominica. Robbie with these extremely bad numbers did you really expect Skerrit to send you up in Roseau central? Please go home Skerrit don’t want you and you know that. SOT!

  22. Self
    March 8, 2019

    Good, right in time for all those coming to vote illegally, extra $86.00. SOT!

    • That is nonsense man
      March 10, 2019

      Who fool you?! The PM will cover that for them! It’s those of us who stay and work hard in the country and want to take a little vacation that will pay those fees!

  23. Secret MOU’s and Secret Discussions are a part of the Regime’s modus operandi. We are slowly beginning to see a Government self-destruct. This tax is so glaringly absurd as it totally contradicts the need for more stay over visitors and the building of sooo many FIVE STAR HOTELS. Labourites and Workers both will be feeling this one and they won’t like it! The leader of Dominica has already shattered his Political party although most are remaining tight lipped about it. Now he’s placing his own nail to seal his Political Coffin! How desperate is our Supreme Leader becoming? What will he do next? He has gone too far. Dominicans ONE and ALL will stop him. Skerro…the Emperor has fallen on his own sword! This is LESS VOTES FOR YOU! No more cheating and milking this Country to keep yourself fat while the rest of us are still struggling to put food on our tables! You might as well start packing up now!!!!!

  24. toneh
    March 8, 2019

    i am not passing back. and when my people get out they not going back.

    your nose is in your
    cause if it was not your priorities would be right
    the huge homes and the tiny homes pay the same house tax.
    the migrants ( i wont say xpats) and the nationals pay same amount of house tax.
    so much sh need to be revised
    smh

  25. Bring back the kidnapped Dominican parrots
    March 8, 2019

    This is a great way to attract tourists, they will now be coming to Dominica in droves, they will not mind paying the US $32.00 to get off the island.

  26. Dan Tanner
    March 8, 2019

    Another reason to avoid entering Dominica.

    The good news is that you can leave for free.

    • Pipo
      March 10, 2019

      Not so Dan, even if you leave the country in a wooden box you must pay. After Maria, Dominicans fleeing to Martique by ferry had to pay departure tax, cash only. Ask the agents Whitchurch if that is not so. Meanwhile the Chinese government arranged for the evacuation of their also by ferry to Antigua and pick up the tab and the USA took out their citizens by helicopter to Martinique, no charge. They can say what they like but it is the truth.

  27. mystikal
    March 8, 2019

    Lets do the math and economics, by the introduction of this new charge, flying to St. Lucia on Air Antilles for example will now cost the same as taking the ferry: but 4hrs on ferry as compared to 45 mins via plane? Plane me say. Similarly going to Guadeloupe; at present the plane ticket on Air Antilles cost about US$25 more than the ferry… So flying is gonna be cheaper now.. and more convenient as well. Thanks to the port Authorities for the blessing in disguise.

    • Malatete
      March 10, 2019

      The tax applies equally to passengers traveling by air or sea I’m afraid.

  28. Joseph John
    March 8, 2019

    Before I can comment I would like to learn more about departure tax generally. How much do we pay on departure by air , for military aircraft , commercial aircraft and private ? Is this new departure tax more than air ? Is departure tax paid by citizens and residence the same as that paid by foreign visitors ? how does this tax affect children, seniors or invalids ?
    DNO and all the posters commenting on this page should have expert answers.
    I saw a comment to the effect that this new tax is regressive. That is not true. It has all the elements of a “good” tax. For one it is easy to collect and does not really need extra personnel, and put money in circulation. It is not Jumbee Money.
    Historically and traditionally we people do not EVER like any form of taxation. If a government declares no tax at all it will get our full support ,100 %. Remember how the USA use tax to augment its claim for independence from the UK, Today Americans have the biggest tax burden in the whole…

    • Pipo
      March 10, 2019

      That is right Joe, keep defending the indefensible my boy. Bet you your hero Skerrit does not pay that tax when he travels, and nobody dare stop him even if he travel with crab backs.

    • Ibo France
      March 11, 2019

      Joseph John, does it make good economic sense to tax an already overly tax-burdened people? Anyone with a modicum of common sense knows that a hike in departure or entrance fee is a disincentive to travel. On reflection, do you really believe what you have written? Your argument simply lacks clarity.

  29. Chicken coming home to roost
    March 8, 2019

    With the loss or slowing down of many productive industries (agriculture, tourism especially that from RossU) and the failure to attract other economical viable enterprises, the burden is again on the people of Dominica via taxes and more taxes to keep the economy afloat. Is this what we want Dominicans?

    I think Bardouille just lost the elections for the Labour Party aka Skerritt with this letter…

  30. Jacqueline
    March 8, 2019

    Are we ENHANCING. VISITOR EXPERIENCE?
    The terminal is already inadequate to handle the volume of people who disembark. After a long journey on sea tthe experience one encounters upon arrival is distressing at best.
    I sincerely hope that unless it can be added to the ticket then this tax be repealed. We need to make the visit to the island more favorable and less stressful

  31. AA
    March 8, 2019

    In my mind Liat is going Down so more persons Will travel by boat. Excellent Way of saying Keep out. I am Happy i know so I know Where to go rather tHan come to Dominica. I would rather use that extra money and purchase LocalLy made items from the craft makers. Now one has to Think How much they spend since there are more taxes to come.

  32. jamie
    March 8, 2019

    Wow wow,smfh.unbelievable,this is why am visiting other islands,and nothing to show where this monies are being used.

  33. victim
    March 8, 2019

    thing is the wage bill of the DASPA is too high, they have more staff than they need. The politicians dump all their key supporters there to work

    Plus they are paid better than ordinary government workers… The port authorities because of miss-management and incompetence is cash-strapped, Therefore, a hike in the fees is being imposed on the unsuspecting public under the guise of ‘Passenger Facility Charge’
    :lol: :lol: :lol:

  34. zandoli
    March 8, 2019

    When you are trying to increase your tourism stay-over, what do you do? Charge them more. This is economics Dominican style.

    • RandyX
      March 10, 2019

      Welcome in the upside down of Skerrits Dominica!

  35. Ibo France
    March 8, 2019

    This is a regressive tax. Fewer people would leave or enter the country by ferry as the tax is prohibitively high for a poor family of five people. This is precisely what uncaring governments do when they become bankrupt of ideas. Their only meted of replenishing the government coffers is to tax the already overtaxed citizens. Public servants salaries have been stagnant for many years, joblessness has increased, the purchasing power of the ordinary man has rapidly diminished , yet, Mr. PM, you want more of the people’s wages. How much more heartless can you get?

    • Ibo France
      March 9, 2019

      *means Not meted

  36. smh
    March 8, 2019

    i hate the way they run this country, i cant wait to leave!!!!

    • DE TRUMP
      March 8, 2019

      CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU :lol: :lol: :lol:

  37. LeRoy W Mitchell
    March 8, 2019

    This tax is counterproductive. It will further make it more undesirable to travel to Dominica. The fares are already high enough , they are already overloaded with taxes. This is a bad move.

    • March 8, 2019

      We in Dominica have the tendency to consider our brothers and sisters from Haiti as “less than”. However, although considered one of the poorest countries in the world their people have always fought and continue to fight for their rights. Presently there is an intensification in the anti corruption protest in Haiti. The people are protesting against the government of President Jovenel Moise against allegations that billions of dollars from Venezuela’s Petrocaribe was diverted or misuse. France is presently experiencing it worst civil unrest in 50 years due to a new policy fuel tax hike by the govt. of President Macron. People all over the world in rich and poor countries are prepared to fight for their God given rights, while we in Dominica do what we do best accept, be passive and watch the country go to hell.
      Wake up people.

  38. Confused
    March 8, 2019

    So Instead of decreasing the departure tax on visitors, they decided to add another fee….Apparently they don’t hear the mumbles and grumbles at the port when people are there.

  39. John
    March 8, 2019

    Skerrit needs more money to buy voters for election.

  40. Orin
    March 8, 2019

    Bardouille is a jack……..the departure tax is already the highest among the countries the ferry goes to vfor visitors, you add another tax. This is beyond ridiculous and therefore the people travelling will decrease, especially entering the country. NONSENSE!!

    However Dominicans are only talk, they will never do something to stop this nonsense

  41. positive
    March 8, 2019

    So all they doing is implementing tax , no salary increase. Dominicans can hardly see there ways, yet taxing ,
    taxing, taxing. Lord help us.

  42. foreign observer
    March 8, 2019

    How does a gazetted entry fee of USD 10 morph into USD32? Doesn’t something that’s been gazetted have to be gazetted to change? Especially as it appears the fee is now being charged to enter and exit?

    And who was this discussed with, exactly, as outlined in the letter to Whitchurch?

    Not the best move for a country trying to rebuild its tourism capacity in the wake of Hurricane Maria, IMHO. Not to mention the constraints on Dominicans themselves.

  43. Y stay & Die?
    March 8, 2019

    Honestly speaking we have nothing that making money under Skerrit. Our import bill is far higher than our export bill and therefore Skerrit has nothing to legally get money from, apart from the sale of our passports to crooks and criminals around the world and that is done in a very dark and shady way, similar to what we would expect from “drug money” or “blood money.” Furthermore, the international world does not trust Skerrit and therefore they can’t sent their people’s hard earn tax money to Skerrit and, Maduro is all but gone. I look high and low, wide and long, high and deep to see which business or company that making money under Skerrit, so he could tax them but unfortunately I saw none. In fact the last 15 years the only business that seems to be staying afloat is Funeral Homes, as our people are dying because of poor health service and the pressure of trying to achieve. Is this a definition of “THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH”? We need to reverse that curse by voting him…

  44. weh
    March 8, 2019

    Shouldn’t the government be doing things to encourage travel to DA, instead of discouraging travel by implementing this tax?

  45. Sa cobin
    March 8, 2019

    Bull crap no long talj or discussion this is 🐂💩

  46. quiet
    March 8, 2019

    Wow. lol. Way to go. Thumbs up to the government of the day for finding yet another way to deter people from coming to little Dominica. Thumbs up to the people who will find an excuse to justify this move as well. send the french national St Lucia and St Vincent to shop. Soon you will tell express and Val ferry Kiss your tail end and then the custom officers and port workers will start getting laid off and then y’all will find an excuse for that too. We will continue to watch this country suffer because too many people are busy kissing the government boots.

  47. Anthony P. Ismael Minister of Free Pampers
    March 8, 2019

    So you added EC$100.00 in total to enter and depart Dominica. What a brilliant idea to spur tourism on the island. With moves like this, we can expect economic activity on the island to become robust overnight. Tewey Labor. Tewey Roosevelt. Tewey the Cabal.

  48. Look It
    March 8, 2019

    So I am trying to understand this, so nationals and non-nationals alike are to pay to enter Dominica…. so there is now an Entry Tax in Dominica??? I have travelled to and from Guadeloupe, Martinique, St Lucia, I have travelled from Trinidad to Tobago, Anguilla to St Martin alllllll via ferry and never had I have to pay an Entry Tax!

    ummmm Skerrit not easy! TAX THEM HARDDDD Skerro!!!

  49. Floridian Diaspora
    March 8, 2019

    I suppose that dominicans like they usually do will accept this nonsense with open arms, not question it, and at the end if the day shout “labor ka travay “. It’s this kind of thing that Skeritt knows how we behave so gullible that has him and his extraterrestrial clowns using ancient technology on us doing as they please knowing full well will get away with it. More taxes for Dominicans means more luxury for the fake double dr and his boyz mad them. Do the math.

  50. zandoli
    March 8, 2019

    Keep on making it more expensive to travel in and out of Dominica. You may find that your revenue may be lower as you make it more unaffordable to travel. Look no further than exhibit 1 – LIAT.

  51. LifeandDeath
    March 8, 2019

    A “perfect” way to increase tourism numbers, just increase the price of the services..smh.

    After 20 years of receiving CBI moneys, not 1% of VAT or Port Duties was reduced, instead the Gov’t squanders the money buying people, votes and give foreigners to build hotels (none finished to date), then turns around and taxes the people even more. Does that make sense?

    Now if something was gazetted since 2014 and only get into force in 2019; 5 years later, that is a clear indication that Gov’t recurrent revenues vis a vis expenditure have worsened over the years. The Government don’t have to spell that out for the people, when will Dominicans use their heads and end this suffering?
    A foreigner will not save us my people, we must save ourselves from this brutality, wake up from this bad dream my people. This Gov’t has clearly failed, what more evidence is required? #wakeup!

  52. Iamanidiot
    March 8, 2019

    The country has no way of making money, We dont have a strong tourism force, or agriculture force so to “make money” we must tax the people.

    Already it so hard to take a little trip, we don’t have an int. airport, You have to buy a ticket to another Caribbean island to get to the US or Europe. You have to take a boat to Lucia, spending your little shopping money on a ticket, now you still have to pay 32 US before you can leave? That’s money I could spend on an uber from the airport to my house.

    Y’ll championing this administration but the big boys wouldn’t feel it, if Bardouille washing his pants and 30 US go down the hose, he not going to bend and pick that up. Is the poor barefoot man like me and you that will feel it. 32 US is plenty money to me. Those decisions are not made with the poor people in Dominica that want to take a little in mind.

    If that ship not sinking I dunno what it doing.
    See what I did there? With the ship? ferry ? sinking? :lol: :lol:

  53. Not an easy road
    March 8, 2019

    Just now Skerrit will put a tax on all the pit latrines he built because he killed agriculture, forced Ross University out of the country and destroyed everything he met that was productive. So no work, no money so he has to raise tax on everything damn thing . We need a change!!!

  54. Pipo
    March 8, 2019

    Is this how we want to promote tourism? And why you want to collect that money direct at the ferry terminals? I suspect you not taking cheques or credi cards there either or give computer generated receipt. largan chess only? That is so cumbersome and unprofessional. So often people dont have the right money and you hearing from the counter clerk they not have the right change or only in EC. Why you not putting that tax in the ticket price. Martinique have much better facilities compared with our amateurish efforts and they dont charge a tax like that. I smell bobol and stupidity. Honestly this is the next step down.

    • Anybody but skerrit
      March 8, 2019

      Pipo you’re right you got to pay in cash wonder where it’s going

      • Pipo
        March 8, 2019

        You know that same comess happenings at the Melville Hall car park. Payment in cash only and no computer record of arrivals, departure or car registrations that I can see. People can make money as they want. I wonder if government is in charge of this or they give their friends a concession for a kado. Just wondering , thats all because that certainly is not professional with little accountability. Maybe I’m wrong?

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