Wednesday, July 15, 2009

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Gibson: Cruise bill to hurt local nightspots By INDERIA SAUNDERS ~ Guardian Business Reporter ~ Inderia@nasguard.com: A member of the Opposition suggests the amended Cruise Ships Bill may undercut the goals of the Hotels Encouragement Act, pointing to truncated in-port thresholds for incentives. According to Golden Gates Member of Parliament Shane Gibson, last week's passing of the amended Hotels Encouragement Act — giving night clubs and entertainment facilities concessions similar to those of restaurants and shops — has been compromised by the Cruise Ship Overnight Incentive bill. He points specifically to the clause reducing the cruise ship docking hours from the mandatory 18 hours to 13 in order for cruise liners to tap incentives. "The Night Club Incentive Act encourages [owners] to upgrade their night clubs to open night clubs to allow tourists to take advantage of these opportunities," he said yesterday in the House of Assembly. "But then we turn right around and mend the cruise ship incentive act and allow cruise ships to return (to ship) earlier, thus preventing cruise ship passengers from taking full advantage of nightlife in The Bahamas." The bill allows cruise ships to leave just after midnight and yet still access those incentives. Gibson is worried that will greatly reduce the opportunity they have to partake in local entertainment. He's also concerned that the bill locks in that change for six years instead of three. Still, Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham countered yesterday that the amendments are aimed at broadening opportunities for local establishments. Under the new terms of the amended bill, to qualify for an overnight stay, ships will be required to arrive no earlier than 11 a.m., with a departure of no earlier than midnight and inclusion of nine daylight hours. Gibson takes issue with the midnight departure minimum, arguing it could see more ships leaving earlier, which could negate the efforts to get local entertainment establishments to take advantage of the amended Hotels bill. "For those of us who went on a cruise ship before, you had to be on board at least by 11 [and] if going out to a night club you have to leave there at least 10 o'clock [to] board on time [and] don't miss your cruise," he said. "So it seems kind of contradictory that we would encourage night club operators to spend money to upgrade their facilities and then reduce the amount of time we have cruise ship passengers in port." Government's move last week to broaden the scope of the Encouragement Act followed criticism from one of the country's top entertainers, charging the government's failure to develop an entertainers encouragement bill for the 2008/2009 fiscal year pushed struggling artists into other occupations. It's a complaint that came on the heels of studies indicating visitors increasingly find The Bahamas boring at night. In an earlier interview, singer Freddie Munnings Jr. said Bahamian entertainers and establishments would soon become a dying breed in the absence of proposed legislation to spur developers and hoteliers to hire local entertainers. "The entertainment industry is bombing at the moment," he said late last year. "[Bahamian] entertainers are left to either get out of industry and go into the construction business, just to do something to survive or leave the country." Many of these musicians will now be able to import items relevant to their craft at a reduced duty rate or, even, duty free. Tuesday, June 30, 2009