MPs reject Tshekedi�s move to impose another tourism levy
Pini Bothoko | Tuesday August 8, 2017 15:59
The Bill was seeking to make provision for the imposition of a levy on tourism enterprises, tourists or tourist product consumers.
The Bill stated that the purpose of the levy is restrictive because the money in the Fund is intended to assist in the training of staff of tourist enterprises.
It went on to state that the levy does not provide for other forms of assistance such as the improvement and maintenance of quality standards of facilities and services provided for tourists by the government.
It does not provide for other forms of assistance such as promoting development and well- being of the tourist industry.
Tshekedi stated that the purpose of the Bill is to amend section 30 (2) (a) to empower the minister to impose an additional levy, which will be used for purposes of the improvement and maintenance of quality standards in the facilities and services provided for tourists by the government, and generally promoting the development and well- being of the tourist industry.
Commenting, MPs rejected the Bill saying they had not to been consulted about it at the General Assembly and advised the minister to take the Bill back to the General Assembly so that MPs can be briefed about it first.
“There is no how I can agree to comment any further on this Bill because it’s my first time to learn about it.
The minister should take it to the General Assembly before he can present it here,” said the deputy speaker of the National Assembly and the MP for Gaborone South, Kagiso Molatlhegi.
“As a member of Parliamentary Tourism Committee, we should have been briefed about this Bill before coming here, but we are in the dark about it. I expect that as members, we could have been briefed about it,” said the MP for Francistown South, Wynter Mmolotsi.
He also shared Molatlhegi’s sentiments that Khama should take the Bill to brief them (MPs) about it first at the General Assembly.
“I refuse to grant permission to debate this Bill. I cannot allow another levy to be imposed before we have been consulted about it. This is the Bill that will affect people’s lives, hence the need for us to be briefed about it accordingly because we are here representing our constituents,” Mmolotsi said.
Mmolotsi pointed out that in the past, a Bill on plastic Fund was passed, and currently the business community is collecting that money from Batswana but to date government is failing to collect that levy from them.
The MP for Selebi-Phikwe West, Dithapelo Keorapetse said the Bill does not only introduce, the levy, but also expands the usage of the levy.
“Let the minister firstly unpack this Bill before us at the General Assembly before we can be expected to debate it.
It is not a bad Bill, but procedure should be followed,” Keorapetse said.