Air passengers to pay $5 security levy
News & Trends •
alexander van de wint a klm official in dar es salaam said airlines had sold tickets for up to the end of the year and asked the government to postpone the levy until january 20191 tanzania has taken a major decision that could slow down tourism imposition of security levy of 5 on every air passengers1 tanzania airports authority director-general richard mayongela said foreign travellers boarding aircraft at major airports in the country will pay 5 while those on domestic flights will pay 21 the security levy is targeted at enhancing the development of airport infrastructure and stabilising and strengthening the safety of our airports said mr mayongela1 however airline executives say the new levy will make air transport in the country expensive adding that several taxes and fees are already being charged. they fear it may scare away potential customers1 the current departure tax for domestic flights is tsh13000 5.7 while international departure tax is tsh112101 49 per passenger1 the new levy which takes effect on october 1 is meant to help improve airport security installations and safety services including perimeter fences and scanning machines1 chief executive officer of the tanzania association of tour operators sirili akko told the eastafrican that the levy works against the governments goal of increasing the number of tourists1 m akko said a reduction if not abolition of all the fees levies and taxes on auxiliary services in the tourism sector would have maximised returns from the countrys tourism and wildlife sector1 tourism is tanzanias leading foreign exchange earner and a key economic sector1 the economy earned tsh4 trillion 2 billion from the sector last year according to the tanzania tourist board1 this surpassed earnings from gold which brought in tsh3 billion 1.28 billion in the same period1 httpwww.theeastafrican.co.kebusinesstanzania-to-tax-air-travellers-from-october2560-4777352-2u2bo5index.html1