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Torres: Airport fee hike was in the plans since November
Gov. Ralph DLG Torres said the planned airport fee hike was published last November and did not receive any comments then, hence the decision to delay its implementation.
Speaking at a previous interview, Torres said the airport fee hike, which was recently delayed by the Department of Finance, has been planned since late last year. Torres’ comments were solicited prior to Finance announcing that it would be delaying the airport fee hikes.
He said that when the Division of Customs came out with the notice that it was pushing for an airport fee hike from $1 per passenger to $7 per passenger, no comments were submitted opposing the idea. Torres reiterated the importance of commenting on governmental policy changes within the approved time frame.
“Whether $7 is too much is yet to be experienced, but I want the community to know that when we give opportunity for private sector, government, or private citizens to make comments, that is when we should make comments” the governor said.
He still believes, though, that a hike on the airport fees should be implemented. Finance Secretary Larissa Larson earlier told Saipan Tribune that the fees have not been changed since the 1990s.
“…I do know that [Customs] needs additional revenue,” said Torres, adding that he was unsure of whether the $7 airport fee was fair. “This revenue is used for Customs to enhance their programs.”
Larson indicated in a separate interview with Saipan Tribune that the Division of Customs would be delaying the airport fee hike by at least two weeks to seek comments from airlines. She added that a complex formula was used to obtain the $7 airport fee hike and that the formula would be revisited once all the comments from airlines are compiled and reviewed.
Larson did not specify a timeline for the implementation of the airport fee hike; however, the initial schedule for implementation of the airport fee hike was on March 1, 2018.
MD: Torres believes airport fee hike necessary.
KW: Gov. Ralph DLG Torres, airport fee hike, Department of Finance, Division of Customs, Larissa Larson.
