I carefully read the newspapers' reports of Friday, October 2, regarding the blunder in implementing the announced new rate for the travel tax and my overview is as follows:

The present Government inherited a "nightmare" and has no choice but to try to keep the country afloat. It is not as adept with the illusionary tactics that the past government seemingly perfected which enabled it to avoid necessary actions and preventative measures. It also did not adequately inform the country of the precarious position the nation was facing - as is now being done by the prime minister and government ministers.

Strongly worded response

Newspaper articles reported a strongly-worded response by the International Association of Travel Agents (IATA) which represents 143 airlines worldwide, and one Cyriel Kronenburg, whose position was not disclosed, claiming that:

"Any fee increase for airlines or passengers is both unwarranted and unjustified" and recalled that the organisation "in the past expressed its concerns regarding the cost of doing business in Jamaica".

Concluded that in its opinion the recently announced travel-tax increase and the Jamaican Government's explanation that this was because of currency depreciation was not justified.

The three-day notice period for implementation "without referring to stakeholders" in the industry was inadequate.

The points set out in the above response by IATA are warranted from the organisation's point of view but the first two seem to suggest a level of arrogance and even threatening to a sovereign nation with whom its members have business relationships and for which they are paid.

As a matter of interest, I am informed that the departure taxes charged in some other areas are as follows:

Barbados US$27, St Lucia US$26, San Juan US$26, Curaçao US$32 and Havana US$25. From that, I guess we can draw our own conclusions regarding the charge that the increase by the Jamaican Government is "unwarranted and unjustified".

I regret the continued and continually increasing costs attached to travel as Jamaicans are a travelling people but what we can't change, we must accept.

I am, etc.,

JEAN B. ANDERSON

jeanron@cwjamaica.com