Travel News from the Caribbean as of
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British MP calls on government to stop unfair Caribbean travel tax
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| Published on Thursday, October 29, 2009 | Email To Friend Print Version
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Sarah Teather, popular broadcaster Floella Benjamin, and representatives
of leading Caribbean organisations with a petition to stop the Caribbean
passenger tax.
LONDON, England -- British Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather has stepped up the pressure on the government to rethink the unfair Caribbean passenger tax.
Joined by popular broadcaster Floella Benjamin, as well as representatives of leading Caribbean organisations, Teather handed in a petition to Chancellor of the Exchequer including almost 400 signatures from her constituency.
The Labour government plans to tax Caribbean passengers at a higher rate than those travelling to the West Coast of the United States, which is farther away from the UK. But campaigners want the flight taxes based on the distance they travel and the carbon dioxide levels they emit. This would be fairer on UK residents with family in the Caribbean and also better for the environment.
Teather has previously joined a delegation of MPs meeting Bruce Golding, the Prime Minister of Jamaica, to discuss this issue, and has tabled a parliamentary motion urging the government to think again.
Teather said: “Hundreds of people in Brent have large families living in the Caribbean and need to be able to get to special occasions like weddings or a family Christmas. It simply isn’t fair to charge passengers to the Caribbean more tax than those travelling to the West Coast of America.
“Flight taxes should be based on distance and carbon dioxide emissions, not on arbitrary and unfair boundaries drawn up by a government minister. Labour’s plans don’t protect the environment, they just protect American business interests.
“Taxing planes rather than individual passengers would be better for the environment and fairer for passengers on busy routes. I hope that the Chancellor will listen to the hundreds of people in Brent who have signed my petition and promise to do the right thing for Caribbean families in the UK.
“I urge all local people who feel strongly about this issue to sign my petition online at www.sarahteather.org.uk/petitions."
Broadcaster and campaigner Floella Benjamin said: “The proposed Air Passenger Duty discriminates against every single member of the Caribbean community in Britain.
“It will hit families very hard indeed, to say nothing of its impact on the already hard-hit Caribbean tourism economy – a key source of revenue for most of the region”. | | | | Reads : 694 | | | |
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