Foreigners Should Pay Quarantine Fees in Fiji – Govt

Visitors to Fiji could soon have to pay for their quarantine costs under newly proposed Covid-19 protocols.

On Monday, Attorney-General Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum tabled an amendment bill in Parliament which is passed will allow the Health Ministry to make changes to its quarantine regulation fees.

Sayed-Khaiyum said with yachts coming in through the government’s so-called ‘Blue Lanes Initiative’, local authorities were incurring costs.

“When we put them up at the hotel, we pay for the hotel co)sts and we pay for their meals etcetera.

“So we need those costs to be paid by them (tourists) and not by the Fijian taxpayer because that’s their choice to come to Fiji. What this bill does is allows the minister to pass regulations and pass on those costs.”

Sayed-Khaiyum said debate on the bill would be held in the House on Thursday.

Under the amendment, tourists would not only be required to pay for their stay at the hotels but also other related medical and quarantine services.

Sayed-Khaiyum said there were “people with high net worth” who had come to Fiji who could easily bear the costs.

“Our navy and military bear these costs and this will need to change.”

(Source: Radio NZ 01st September, 2020)govt
https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/424988/foreigners-should-pay-quarantine-fees-in-fiji-govt