Watersport operators urge government to waive fees
(CNS): With the Cayman Islands tourism sector still effectively closed in order to protect the wider community from the COVID-19 pandemic, local operators are urging government to waive the numerous annual fees their businesses are liable for, given their sacrifice. Troy Leacock, an advocate for the watersports sector, has written to Cabinet ministers requesting that government waive the fees for Wildlife Interactive Zone (WIZ) licences, Port Authority Vessel Inspection, Annual Returns and Trade and Business Licences for all watersport businesses.
“Many operators have contacted me with grave concerns about their inability to pay these fees and the potential ramifications of non-payment,” Leacock, the owner of Crazy Crab boat charters, told CNS. He said that some ministers have indicated to him they support the waiver request, but with several of the fees now due, these small business owners need official confirmation now.
Small tourism businesses are really struggling at present to survive and hopefully make it through to the other side of the border lockdown. Leacock believes there is a moral obligation for the government and society to support these Caymanian businesses, as they are the ones bearing the cost of keeping Cayman free of the coronavirus. He said that while here has been some government support, it has often been too little and too late.
“Government needs to get in front of this economic crisis before all the small Caymanian tourism businesses die and are gobbled up by vulture investors. The very future of Caymanian-owned tourism businesses is at stake,” Leacock warned.
I work in Watersports and Recently renewed my business license for free.
Good friends you see a lot of elderly caymanian worked in tourisim, it will be very hard for them to get a job, I also work in tourisim and its not that we don’t try to get employment but we just don’t have any luck as yet, but for few of us include I manage to get two weeks with nice and I wish I could get couple months with them because I have ambition I always work I never depend on any on beside my provider god, God is good all the time, all the time God is good
Why are there thousands of foreign nationals here on work permits, in unskilled roles, if there are unemployed Caymanians willing, able and ready to perform them?
Because their jobs are only advertised every two years. And for what it’s worth I have noticed an uptick in Caymanian staff in restaurants.
So we have a system where foreign nationals can be employed for years while qualified and able Caymanians are not only unemployed, but do not even know what roles are available?
Who is in charge of that?
That’s not the system at all and you should know it. All the openings used to have to be in the paper and are now on a website. Some permits in tourism are only 9 months after which that process repeats itself and caymanians have another shot at the opening. Some permits are longer. Stop acting like a handful of foreign water sports employees are the reason you can’t get ahead. Your post indicates you clearly have no idea how the system even works so start with that and move forward.
How is it possible that our millionaire-owned Tourism businesses never seem to have any retained earnings to weather hardships? Even with the lasting memories of Ivan and Gilbert, it seems none of them have bothered to save for any predictable business contingencies, or interruptions, let alone a rainy day. Are we really to the financial point where the public needs to waive their $200 per boat annual pass fees? Really? How many of these businesses accepted the FREE ADVICE that was offered earlier this year? Maybe only those businesses should qualify for handouts. You have to want to try.
Skip the quarantine- open the border with pretest only and not worry about vaccine at this point and tourism would start to get back on its feet.
With all the pretesting, I will need 3 Covid tests for a 6 day holiday. One to board the plane for departure, one for when I’m leaving to go home and one as I return to work. Quite possibly a fourth one if there is a Covid test upon arrival. It’s a little over the top!
So quarantine.
I have a 7 day holiday…6 to spend on a holiday. How would I quarantine, please tell?
Sacrifice??!!
Government needs to really look at these watersports companies. There are thousands and not all of them should be allowed to
Are the people littering public beach with piles of dilapidated deck chairs also benefiting from this ongoing government largesse?
Need another withdrawal from my pension if there isn’t stimulus cheques like other countries. Pension Plan returns are pathetic unless you have the self directed option VOO – S&P500.
Blessed are the stingray feeders
Moral obligation is not something this gov’t appears to consider. It appears they need money to hand out with no transparency (i.e. small business program).
Well if you crush their business, is it too much to ask that you stop charging them? Seems like a no brainer.
He is absolutely correct., society needs to share the cost.
Imagine we had bragging about hundreds of millions for years on end of surpluses and when it came time for stimulus they said go get it out your pensions.
They may have managed covid well but take care of peoples finances not so much.
People should also have had some money put away for a rainy day. Personal responsibility goes a long way. Now, I’m NOT saying that most people are prepared for a year without income but people were asking for handouts from a few days in! People that had no change in income were withdrawing pensions and splurging on non-essential items.
Also, don’t forget that in the countries that did stimulus packages, those citizens pay income tax and a lot of it. Worse yet, some of the aid received was actually taxable income not a free handout.
I may not pay income tax but I do pay a lot of taxes.
Being a tax payer I agree in suspending these fees for 2021. It was the policies of this government that have allowed me to continue to operate while it essentially shut water sports down. Yes I and everyone else, will have to pay more taxes and fees to make up for the shortfall next year, but that includes the water sports operators that survive.
It’s not just the comparatively trivial safety inspection and licensing fees, these boats will have to be safe when the lights come back on, and need to have money to do that too. If they can’t even afford the routine trivial fixed annual fees, where is the end to this industry’s subsidy? Maybe those that felt too proud to accept the free business viability reviews last year should be allowed to go out of business.
What, they only worry about, and listening to the rich foreigner telling them what to do and when to do
More hand outs?
Troy why don’t the tourism workers try and re skill and get another job. Stop asking for handouts. Be part of the solution.
Alden told the tourist workers in March that there would be no work all year. He suggested they reinvent themselves in the time being in order to have income. Some put lots of effort in and offered new services from their previously tourist-driven businesses, some started new businesses, some found jobs elsewhere in the world, some found other local jobs, and some did nothing but whine that their $1000 stipend wasn’t enough.
Fat chance of that… someone needs to pay the severance packages come next election