MPs reject urgent proposal to delay implementation by 6 months)

TDT | Manama     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Report by Mohammed Darwish

The Council of Representatives rejected an urgent proposal to defer the enactment of the Ministry of Tourism’s recent decree imposing a BD3 per diem hotel accommodation fee for hotel rooms by six months.

MPs Mohamed Janahi, Ahmed Qarata, Mohsin Al Asbool, Mohamed Al Riffaei, and Najeeb Al Kawari tabled the proposal, which received 11 votes in support, 2 abstentions, and 16 votes in opposition.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Tourism had implemented a Hotel Accommodation Fee of BD3 per night for all occupied hotel rooms.

Visitors are now required to pay an additional BD3 on top of their regular hotel bill for each day of their stay.

The generated revenue will be allocated towards improving the overall visitor experience, including hosting events and enhancing various attractions.

Overburden

MP Janahi emphasised that “the supplementary BD3 fee on each day’s stay at hotels will merely serve to overburden tourists and citizens.”

He added that “the imposition of a BD3 fee would cause perturbations in the agreements between hotels, tour agencies, and tourism companies.”

He noted that a fixed BD3 surcharge on top of a list that includes a 10% service charge, a 5% government levy, and a 10% VAT renders the list ponderous.

Instead, he proposed increasing the government levy by 2 to 5 percentage points.

Expressing his disagreement, MP Hisham Al Awadhi stressed that the proposed deferral was unnecessary.

He argued that the recent fee would be beneficial for the economy and downplayed the concerns raised by MP Janahi, considering them to be minimal.

MP Basma Mubarak suggested a minor adjustment to the proposal by exempting Bahrainis from paying the new fee.

This exemption, she argued, would encourage domestic tourism and support the local population.