Wayne Munroe
By KHRISNA RUSSELL
Tribune Chief Reporter
krussell@tribunemedia.net
THE Progressive Liberal Party has doubled down on criticisms of the government’s travel health visa, demanding that officials release an audited accounting breakdown of the initiative.
In a statement yesterday, Wayne Munroe, QC, the PLP’s candidate for the Free Town constituency, questioned the handling of fees associated with the travel visa since it came on stream.
The statement came the day after the official opposition said it would immediately end the travel health visa requirement if the system remained on stream and the party wins the next general election.
Mr Munroe said while the government initially said the visa was necessary, it has now become apparent that it is not, as it remains entirely possible to require a negative PCR test without a travel visa as countries in the region have shown.
Calls made to Tourism Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar for a response to Mr Munroe’s statement were not answered up to press time.
“We were told that there was no time to go through the usual procurement process, with its safeguards against corrupt practices, to choose a private digital payments company,” Mr Munroe said yesterday.
“Again, not true. The government had months ahead of the November reopening of borders — our second reopening, after the failure of the July reopening — to make a plan.”
He was referring to the government’s defence last week of a no-bid contract awarded to Kanoo Pays, an electronic retail payment provider, to process travel health visa payments.
Last week the PLP criticised the contract award and highlighted the company’s association with Dr Nigel Lewis, the co-manager of the Free National Movement’s general election campaign.
In response last week, Mr D’Aguilar said the identity of those behind Kanoo was never considered when the company was selected to process visa payments, adding that the company’s fees are in line with other electronic payment providers and the quality of its services is high.
Mr Munroe continued: “We are told that this travel visa covers costs such as the fifth day antigen test. That is not true, either, in a very large number of cases. Travellers who stay fewer than five days still pay the same for the visa. A substantial percentage of travellers required to take that test don’t, in fact, take the test – this is according to the government. “And fully vaccinated travellers are told on the fifth day that their travel visas don’t cover the cost of the test. This is a policy that was never announced publicly, by the way, nor has that information been shared with those purchasing the travel visa.
“So, where has all that money gone? One place we know where it’s not – the national treasury... What is required now is a full, audited up-to-date accounting of money in and money out. Show us the receipts, as they say.”
Mr Munroe continued: “The Ministry of Tourism is now claiming that it has access to the private bank account in which this money is kept. When I pay my passport fee, or vehicle registration, or real property tax, does it go into a private bank account? Of course, not – it’s public revenue.
“The government has not satisfactorily answered questions about why an arrangement with this company was structured this way. There are serious questions, too, about the legality of this arrangement.
“More fundamentally, we don’t need a travel visa.”
He argued that the visa is a “ridiculous” functioning tax on Bahamians.
“Bahamians don’t need to pay for a travel visa or any fee to enter the United States but are required to pay a fee to return to their place of birth – this is ridiculous and makes absolutely no sense. It is hurting Bahamian businesses that require travel between our islands.
“It is preventing family members from travelling to see each other. It’s bad for the economy.
“The PLP will end the travel visa.”
Last week, the Ministry of Tourism offered a defence of the travel visa system. It said the fees were imposed to pay for the rapid antigen test residents were mandated to take, the health insurance visitors were required to have while in the county and to cover the start-up costs associated with the website along with other operational costs.
The ministry said funds that are earned are deposited into an account that Kanoo Pays shares with the ministry and that the account is at all times controlled and monitored by the ministry’s accounting department.
The ministry said up to March 31, 2021, $2.4m surplus funds have been received from the visa system. Revenues were $9.8m, and expenses were $7.4m.
Comments
carltonr61 2 years, 10 months ago
Cronyism and curruption to have to Bahamian poor broke treasury money pay for a strange start up cost then the Bahamas gets a share in the profits. Boy we are a bunch of dumb unmentiinables.
baclarke 2 years, 10 months ago
End the pointless travel visa and exchange the RT PCR test for the Rapid Antigen test.....
Alan1 2 years, 10 months ago
The travel Visa has been a complete failure. It is so cumbersome that we have lost thousands and thousands of potential visitors over the past few months because of all the visa requirements and the rigid rule of having to be in Nassau within five days of the test. Very few could comply and the waiting period for the Visa to be issued has sometimes been two and even three days. Most visitors just could not be bothered with all the tests and forms. They went elsewhere. Even some of our most ardent visitors just could not complete all the requirements in time. There were so many complaints from visitors and travel agents. However the Tourism Minister stubbornly refuses to abolish it. Also we need visitors who stay at hotels. Cruise ship passengers do not help our economy very much. Let us hope with ongoing criticism the Health Visa will be abolished soon!
WETHEPEOPLE 2 years, 10 months ago
Revenues were 9.8 million and expenses were 7.4 million? This has to be one of the biggest shake downs ive seen for a while. 7.5 millions spent on what?
carltonr61 2 years, 10 months ago
These bunch of criminals I elected also locked down tourists visits to Forts and they banned us Bahamians. Forts were legally stolen and only the Queen of UK England could give Lord Dunmore's Forts back to the Bahamian people. Forts Charlottes, Fincastle and Montague no longer belong to The Queen and Commonwealth Bahamian territory. They are no go zone private property fenced in by African banana Republic elite blacks. If we had oil, God help our suffering. Imagine our currupt African leaders. They own the judiciary, law and dangerous honeysuckers. The Bahamas is not a democracy are leaders are gangsters that enrich those opportunities that enrich them. Not us poor we vote for the rich to get richer. We need a new political direction in DNA. What do we have to loose. PLP/FNM, a the same. What do we have to loose already living in their hell hole forever. Time to break out of slavery to our rich elites who take us for a$$es far far too long.
SP 2 years, 10 months ago
Please bring Perry Gladstone Christie back. At least we got entertained while getting swing, This FNM government grinding us left and right, dry eye, with no vaseline, or bullshyt right so!
carltonr61 2 years, 10 months ago
Haha. True. Pure criminals. A bunch of thieves. Remember the slogan. "The chief is a thief" under dem, even the Indians too. A worthless piece of tihs (sp) we voted for.
carltonr61 2 years, 10 months ago
FNN/numbers boys/PLP/banks, their, Marijuana growers, own 99.95%of Bahamian wealth. Us poor are slaves on their slave plantation and iwe 10billion dollars that each Bahamian worker dead, unborn, or alive must pay $30,000 cash tax to our FNM/PLP slave masters. Vote DNA to salvage our nation from the PFLNPM grave for the poor they placed us in. We are dead by them already and face further death at their hands. We must try another way from their visa health robbery scheme lies, fog, criminality, abject laughing criminal curruption and Satan unGodlyness.
happyfly 2 years, 10 months ago
It is all becoming one great big farcical circus parade now that Florida is wide open. July 4th weekend will see a flood of American tourists into this country that no longer see any point in wearing masks or social distancing - whilst our sorry band of covid ambassadors and exhausted police force continue to try and enforce a bunch of ridiculous rules put on us by some crooked foreigners which our ten-cent dictator couldn't get enough of.
John 2 years, 10 months ago
The CDC has gone back to requiring fully vaccinated people to wear mask in public and enclosed spaces. It hinted at ‘not recommending’ indoor dining and other indoor activities that require close person to person contact. This is in light of the apparent threat from the Delta strain of the Corona virus that appears to be extremely contagious. Minnis must now go back and warn Bahamians (and residents) that even though indoor dining and other social activities are allowed among vaccinated persons, their health and safety is not guaranteed. In fact they may be taking unnecessary risks and exposing themselves to the opportunity to contract the corona virus.
tribanon 2 years, 10 months ago
At every turn during the worst of the pandemic, Minnis and D'Aguilar orchestrated the fleecing of Bahamians with unnecessary and very costly testing and health visa requirements.
WETHEPEOPLE 2 years, 10 months ago
These FNM thieves got to go
licks2 2 years, 10 months ago
Can any of you please tell me who is doing the tests them and getting paid? Government or private peoples them!! I been told that the government een getting none of that money!!
And for the one who talked about the antigen test. . .wha da do? If I am not wrong it only tell ya that ya had COVID sometime in the past. . .not if ya got it now aye? So please. . .some er yinna "genious" them around here please "learn" ma sme sense!!
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