Nevis, West Indies. ?A Non-Tourist-Trap? Blog About Nevis.

Residents Will Burden A Higher Percentage Rate Increase At 117%

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
May 30, 2011 (SKNIS)

The increase in Departure Tax at the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport will ensure the modern facility remains compliant with global security requirements while meeting the demands of an ever changing travel market.

During an appearance on SKNIS’ radio magazine Perspectives, Minister responsible for Tourism and International Transport, Honourable Richard Skerritt noted that while an increase to US $37.00 or EC $100.00 is expected on July 1, 2011, it will ensure passengers remain safe in a post 9/11 world.

“Taxes that are charged at airports relate to the cost of doing business at the airport,” he stressed. “The security costs at airports have become quite horrendous [given] the technology involved and the security requirements to meet international standards and the modern communication and other management requirements.”

Minister Skerritt stressed that while the RLB International Airport has undergone several upgrades, the departure tax has remained the same for the last eight years.

“If everybody does not pay certain fees, then you cannot finance the airport and keep up-to-date with the capital infrastructure requirements and the modernization required to take new types of jets and others,” he explained.

Several Caribbean countries have also recently increased departure fees and others are reportedly considering similar actions.

“St. Lucia has just carried up theirs by US $35.00 and Jamaica carried up theirs by [approximately] US $10.00 so I can very easily justify the increase,” the Minister responsible for International Transport revealed.

The departure fees will be billed into the ticket making it less of a hassle for travelers. Rates for adults currently stand at US $22.00 for visitors while residents pay US $19.00.

Related posts:

1. St. Kitts – Nevis Airport Departure Tax Hike
2. St. Kitts Airport Departure Area To Be Improved
3. St. Kitts – Nevis Wants To Raise Already Exorbitant Departure Tax
4. Passenger Processing At St. Kitts Airport To Be Faster
5. St. Kitts – Nevis PM Calls For Increased Airport Security

Offshore Investment Tax Information

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
May 30, 2011 (CUOPM)

The United Kingdom says its Tax Information Exchange Agreements with St. Kitts and Nevis and three other Caribbean countries have entered into force, each of which complies with the standards laid down by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

After a short legislative passage through the United Kingdom Parliament, initiated by the issue of International Tax Enforcement Orders on May 13, the agreements all came into force on May 19, 2011.

Signed with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States countries Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines on January 18, 2010, the texts are all largely identical in wording and scope.

They apply to taxes of all kinds, and to all substantially similar or identical taxes brought in following the date of signature.

The TIEAs also allow for the request of information held by banks and other financial institutions, and information on the ownership of companies, trusts, partnerships and foundations.

The provisions of the arrangements take effect in respect to criminal matters from May 19, 2011, and for all other matters for taxable periods commencing, or charges to tax arising, on or after the same date.

The UK is currently in the process of legislating for the ratification of four other Caribbean TIEAs, with Montserrat, Belize, Dominica and Grenada.

St. Kitts and Nevis has signed Tax Information Exchange Agreements (TIEA’s) with several other countries including India, Australia, Monaco, The Netherlands, The Netherlands Antilles, Aruba, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Denmark, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Greenland, Farore Islands, Iceland, Finland and Canada.

Related posts:

1. St. Kitts – Nevis Signs Another Tax Information Exchange Agreement
2. St. Kitts-Nevis Has Executed Zero Tax Information Exchange Agreements
3. St. Kitts – Nevis Negotiating Tax Information Exchange Agreements
4. St. Kitts – Nevis Signs TIEA’s With Four Countries
5. Tax Information Agreement Talks To Be Held With Holland

Expensive Airfare To Blame For Tourism Decline

Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
May 30, 2011

St. Kitts and Nevis is reporting mixed performance in visitor arrivals and cruise passengers.

Temporary Governor Dr. the Hon. Timothy Harris in a statement at the 41st Annual Conference of the Board of Governors of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) reported a one percent increase in stay-over arrivals as visitor arrivals.

He said stay over visitors from the major source markets increased. Stay over visitors to St. Kitts and Nevis from the United States went up 2.8%; up 23.1 percent from the United Kingdom and up 13.9 percent from other European countries as a result of an expansion in direct airlift capacity from these destinations.

Arrivals from Canada and the Caribbean declined by 12.5% and 7.3% respectively as airfares from these markets remained unattractive.

In his statement, Minister Harris said the cruise industry remained buoyant during the period under review as cruise passenger arrivals increased by 13.7 percent due to increased port calls which also jumped 13.6%, as the sector continues to benefit from intense negotiations with cruise lines and strategic marketing campaigns.

Overall the tourism sector is estimated to have contracted by 2.0 percent in 2010 when compared to 2009.

American Airlines operates daily scheduled flights to the Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport from Miami International Airport and from JKF International on Wednesdays and Sundays; US Airways operates a schedule flight from North Carolina on Saturdays; Delta Airlines from Atlanta on Saturdays and British Airways on Tuesdays and Saturdays from London’s Gatwick International Airport.

American Eagle also operates flights into St. Kitts’ Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport and Nevis’ Vance Amory International from the Luis Muoz Marin International Airport in Puerto Rico. LIAT and WINAIR also operate daily flights into St. Kitts and Nevis.

Related posts:

1. St. Kitts Reports a 340% Increase In Cruise Passengers
2. St. Kitts – Nevis Reports Drop In Air Passenger Arrivals
3. St. Kitts – Nevis Tourism Is On The Rise
4. St. Kitts – Nevis Airports Have More US Air Traffic
5. St. Kitts – Nevis Tourism On The Decline