THE Guyana Government has joined in the opposition to the Air Passenger Duty (APD), proposed by the British Government, to be paid on departure from United Kingdom (UK) airports. Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Mr. Manniram Prashad, who made the announcement Wednesday, called the tax “unjust.”

British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr. Alistair Darling put the proposal in the 2009 Budget and said it would go ahead.

As a result, costs to people flying to the Caribbean will increase by between 25 per cent and 87 per cent, depending upon the class of travel and, in November 2010, those increases will reach as high as 94 per cent.

In an invited comment, Prashad said the issue was raised by the Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) at the recent CARICOM Heads of Government Conference hosted here, as well as at the CTO Second Annual Tourism Summit, in Washington D.C., last month.

“We are part of the lobby. The CTO members, including Guyana, are supporting the move to have this increase waived,” he disclosed.

Prashad said: “In other words, we are asking them not to put on this increase, because it will mean the cost of coming to the Caribbean will rise significantly, in some cases by 94 per cent.”

He reiterated that the Guyana Government is against the hike and is in solidarity with CARICOM, as the grouping is supportive of the lobbying with Members of Parliament (MPs) in Britain.

Prashad said Government is going to Parliament and a strong lobby is being mounted with all the Caribbean Heads of Missions based in London, including the Guyana High Commission there.

He said some Opposition MPs with the action, agreeing the higher tariff will definitely affect tourism and arrivals in Guyana and the Caribbean.

“It is an unfair tax, because it is discriminating against the Caribbean region. Guyana is against it and we are in solidarity with our CARICOM brothers and sisters to lobby in London this week,” Prashad repeated.

He added: “We feel that there can be huge success because elections are around the corner and I do not think people want to ruffle the West Indian voters.”

According to him, the additional taxation means that, in November, flights to the Caribbean will carry a 50 pounds (Sterling) per person APD in economy class or 100 pounds each in all other classes and, next year, coming to the Caribbean will cost 75 pounds per person APD in economy class or 150 pounds in all other classes.

A family of four, travelling to the Caribbean next year in premium classes, will pay 600 pounds in APD tax alone; 280 pounds more than now and flights to the Caribbean in premium classes for the same family will be 120 pounds more expensive than to Hawaii.