• Acknowledges the Bahamas’ COVID-19 numbers are high

• Encourages all Bahamians to do is get vaccinated

• Gov’t still setting up mechanics for collecting overflight fees

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

TOURISM Minister Dionisio D’Aguilar yesterday acknowledged the Bahamas’ COVID-19 numbers are high but still better than in the US which has raised our travel advisory status to Level 4. 

Mr D’Aguilar, speaking to reporters ahead of the weekly cabinet meeting, said while the number of COVID-19 cases has been increasing for quite some time the most important thing for all Bahamians to do is get vaccinated. 

“Despite our numbers being what they are, they’re a hell of a lot better than the United States... Ninety percent of foreign visitors come from the United States and if they were to be truthful to themselves and... rank themselves, they would be a Level 6.

“The Bahamas is a safe place. We have entry protocols which have proven to be safe and we’ve tightened up some of our protocols for persons coming in by air and... by cruise ship. We’re walking that fine line the Prime Minister always talks about: We’ve got to keep our economy open, because we need to live and we need to eat, but at the same time, maintaining safety and health protocols.”

Starting September 3 cruise ships will not be able to dock in The Bahamas unless all passengers 12 years and older supply proof that they are fully vaccinated. This requirement does not apply to crew members, children under 12, or anyone who is ineligible for the COVID-19 vaccine due to a medical reason.

Responding to questions about the government collecting overflight fees from aircraft flying over the country’s airspace, Mr D’Aguilar said: “We’re going through the mechanics of setting all of that up, getting the bank account. We’ve already been established by the IATA (International Air Transport Association), they’ve already started to bill.”

The original date to begin collection of overflight fees was January of this year, but COVID-19 had set the original date back.

“So I expect in the next 30 days or so we will start to receive funds from that which will be a huge boon to the Bahamian people,” Mr D’Aguilar said.

“For the first time ever we will be receiving money for our natural resource, which is the space above us. Never before in the history of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas have we ever earned any money from it. So I’m very proud of the fact that we’ll be collecting something from this natural resource.”

The government has initially projected to collect $25m to $30m annually from overflight fees; something Mr D’Aguilar hopes will be a “substantial” boost to the government’s coffers considering the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the next ten years the government is looking to collect over $250m in overflight fees, some of which will be earmarked for the operations of the Civil Aviation Authority, the Air Navigation Services Authority and for air accident and investigations.