CAMPAIGN TO STAMP OUT UNFAIR TAX

Facilitators for a Better Jamaica (FFBJ) have again joined up with Caribbean community organisations and the Caribbean Council to lobby against the Airport Passenger Duty (APD) tax. Sylbourne Sydial asks for your support.

Our organiatsion began its campaign against APD in June 2009 along with other Jamaican and Caribbean organisations when the April 2009 the UK Budget proposed a change to the tax system for flights.  

The new tax system resulted in an increase in the cost of flights to the Caribbean from November 2009 and a further increase in 2010.  Under the new tax, the cost of every  visit by a family of four to visit the Caribbean to see family and friends or to return for happy or sad events will be £300 in tax alone  (and up to £600 in premium classes).

The Caribbean has been lobbying the UK government over the fact that
the tax on flights to the Caribbean has increased so much in the past
two years and also because the tax is calculated unfairly.

This is not only damaging the Caribbean tourism industry but also making it much more expensive for the Caribbean community in the UK to visit friends and relatives.

We are coming to a really important stage now as we understand that the Treasury is looking at how it might revise APD and we know that there is a budget statement due on 23 March. Obviously in these difficult economic times, the treasury wants to maintain the same level of tax, but we have been arguing that APD should be redesigned so that the Caribbean is in the same tax band as the USA - £60 no more

The Caribbean needs the support of the UK Caribbean community and also prospective visitors to Jamaica if change is to be possible.

So what can you do?

We are asking supporters to end a letter to their MP now so that they receive it urgently and before March 2011. If you are writing to your local MP, you need to make sure you put on your name and address as they will only pick up issues that relate to someone in their constituency and they will  
check this first.

How to find your local MP

1. Visit the Parliament website which provides a full list of all UK MPs as well as a variety of other useful information.

2. Visit find your mp  and enter your postcode into the ‘Search’ box. However if you know the name of your MP or constituency you can enter those details into the ‘Search’ box instead.

How to contact your MP

1. By Email: Once you have discovered who your local MP is, you can ’copy and paste’ the draft APD letter and e-mail him / her directly at  
the assigned address.

2. By Letter: You may prefer to print a version of the draft APD letter and post it to your MP at the following address: House of  Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.

A full alphabetical directory of MP?s can also be found at the Parliament website.

Draft MP letter click here. APD fact sheet click here

Sylbourne Sydial Founder/Director of Facilitators for A Better Jamaica (FFBJ)  He recently stood as a Local Government  candidate in Catford South, Lewisham for the Conservative party in the 2010 General & Local Government Elections. Email: info@ffbj.org.