by crossriverwatch admin
Tourism industry stakeholders who rose from a recent meeting in Calabar to resolve the ongoing crises between the state government and practitioners over news taxes, have promised to partner with the Cross River State government to create a tourism friendly state.
Speaking to pressmen after the closed door meeting with the Special Adviser on Tourism to Governor Imoke, Mr. Usani Wilfred, the Chairman, Association of Fast Food and Confectionary, AFFCON, Cross River and Akwa Ibom Chapters said the meeting was far reaching because many of the issues unnerving the relationship between them and government in recent time were addressed.
The State Chairman of Hoteliers Association, Mr. Charles Ogar also expressed happiness on the outcome of the meeting which he said has substantially addressed their grouse with the government.
Earlier, Mr. Usani Wilfred, SA Tourism Development said, “On 11th of June this year we had a similar round table in-house discussion where we as government presented to them our new policies as related to tourism aiming at big time partnership in all ramification among all parties involved and as a result of that meeting we met today again to iron out several issues of importance to both parties.
“The crux of the meeting was basically on licensing, taxation and developmental road map for achieving a more creative and dynamic tourism driven state in the country and diaspora.”
He maintained that government through the appropriate authority in consultation with practitioners; is willing to formulate adequate regulation to unify and sanitize the tourism industry in the state.
He also douse the fears raised by practitioners that the International Conference Centre project with a conference hall capacity of about five thousand embarked upon by the State Government will cripple the business of hoteliers arguing that it was a necessity since the available facilities are inadequate to serve the number of tourists thronging into the state.
follow us on twitter @crossriverwatch
Leave feedback about this