Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Investments and Aviation Chester Cooper said yesterday that the government is reviewing contracts related to the travel health visa.
“As it relates to our contracts, we are reviewing the entirety of the arrangement,” Cooper said outside Cabinet.
“I don’t wish to comment further on that at this time but suffice to say, we’re looking at it. Our focus really is restoring tourism, getting more tourists to come to our shores.
“We’ve been doing a lot of work internally. We’re optimistic about the next few months, so that’s our primary focus at the moment.”
He noted that the government has streamlined the travel health visa process for inter-island travel.
Travel health visas are no longer required for domestic travel in the country.
As of October 1, Bahamians and residents of The Bahamas, whether vaccinated against COVID-19 or not, will no longer have to pay travel health visa fees to travel internationally.
Prior to the changes, the travel health visa for domestic travel was free for vaccinated individuals and $25 for unvaccinated individuals. The visa for international travel was free for fully-vaccinated individuals and $40 for those who are unvaccinated.
“At the moment, we are retaining the travel visa for international persons coming through The Bahamas,” Cooper said.
“We’re reviewing and we’re going to streamline the process as best as possible. The data being received on the international side is critical to the development, advancement of tourism. I anticipate that that will remain for some time.”
The Bahamas has been in a state of emergency since it confirmed its first COVID-19 case in March 2020.
The state of emergency, which was declared by the governor general, empowered the prime minister, as competent authority, to impose restrictions, like curfews and lockdowns, to curb the spread of the virus.
A months-long border closure was among the restrictions imposed by former Prime Minister Dr. Hubert Minnis last year.
The travel health visa was launched in November 2020, following the official reopening of The Bahamas’ tourism sector.
In June, while in opposition, Philip Brave Davis called the travel health visa “a burdensome, unnecessary tax on Bahamians at a time of widespread economic pain”.
“The PLP will end it,” Davis said at the time.
Davis also said a PLP government would end the travel health visa for visitors.
However, the Ministry of Tourism, at the time, denied the claims that Kanoo, the government’s digital payment provider for the program, was “holding and controlling funds” earned under the travel health visa.
It said claims that the company was chosen based off its shareholders’ political affiliation with the government were “false, erroneous and wholly untrue”.
The post Govt reviewing contracts related to travel health visa appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/govt-reviewing-contracts-related-to-travel-health-visa/
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