URhulumente waseLucia olandelayo uqhubeke nothetha-thethwano olukhulu kule minyaka mibini idlulileyo nabachaphazelekayo abaphambili kwicandelo lezokhenketho, uya kumisela irhafu karhulumente ebizwa ngokuba “Irhafu yezoKhenketho”. Ingeniso eqokelelwe kule rhafu ibekelwe ukuthengisa kunye nophuhliso lokhenketho. Ukuphunyezwa kwale rhafu kulandela ukwaziswa koMthetho weRhafu yoKhenketho kunye nezilungiso kuMthetho weGunya lezoKhenketho eSanta Lucia onguNombolo 8 wowama-2017.
Ukuqala kweyoMnga ngo-1,2020, iindwendwe ezihlala kubaboneleli beenkonzo zokuhlala ezibhalisiweyo ziya kucelwa ukuba zihlawule irhafu emiselweyo ebusuku. Kwinkqubo yamanqanaba amabini, iindwendwe ziya kuhlawuliswa i-US $ 3.00 okanye i-US $ 6.00 umntu ngobusuku ngabunye, kuxhomekeke kwigumbi elingaphantsi okanye ngaphezulu kwe-US $ 120.00. Umyinge wama-50% weRhafu yoKhenketho uyakusebenza kwiindwendwe ezineminyaka eli-12 ukuya kweli-17 ukuphela kokuhlala kwabo. Umrhumo awuyi kusebenza kubantwana abangaphantsi kweminyaka eli-12. Ababoneleli beenkonzo zeendawo zokuhlala ababhalisiweyo bayacelwa ukuba bafake izicelo kwaye baqokelele irhafu kwaye bagqithise kwigunya elilawulayo.
Ukongeza, uRhulumente waseSanta Lucia ukusukela nge-1 kaDisemba ngo-2020 uyakunciphisa iRhafu yeXabiso elongeziweyo (VAT) ukusuka kwiipesenti ezilishumi (10%) ukuya kwiipesenti ezisixhenxe (7%) ukulungiselela indawo yokuhlala yabanikezeli beenkonzo zeendawo zokuhlala zokhenketho.
Umrhumo wezoKhenketho uza komeleza ukubanakho kwe-Saint Lucia njengendawo yokundwendwela ukwandisa intengiso yayo kunye nokuxhasa uphuhliso lokhenketho eSaint Lucia ngerhafu ehambelana nokufika kwabatyeleli. Ngenxa yoko, ingeniso eqokelelwe ngale rhafu iyakwabelwa imisebenzi ye-Saint Lucia Tourism Authority, uPhuhliso lwezoKhenketho kwiLali, kunye neBhunga lezoKhenketho- iiarhente ezigunyazisiweyo ukwenza le misebenzi.
Umphathiswa wezoKhenketho- u-Dominic Fedee oHloniphekileyo uthe, “INgcwele uLucia ikwindawo entle yokuqhubeka nendlela yokunyusa amandla okufika kwabahambi kwaye nangona siqhubeka nokuhamba ngeli xesha lobunzima, injongo yethu kukuqinisekisa ukuba i-SLTA iyakwazi ukuzimela. Ulwabiwo mali lwangaphambili olumalunga ne-35 yezigidi zeedola luya kubhekiswa kwezinye iindawo ezifuna kakhulu kumacandelo aphambili emfundo, ukhuseleko lwesizwe kunye nokhathalelo lwempilo. Siyayibulela iSLHTA kunye nababoneleli ngendawo yokuhlala ngokwamkela indlela le rhafu iyakuphunyezwa ngayo nokusebenza neSLTA ukufezekisa oku. ”
Iirhafu zokhenketho kunye neerhafu ziqhelekile kwiindawo ezininzi, kubandakanya nezo zinobutyebi obukhulu kakhulu kuneSanta Lucia, la mazwe abandakanya iCanada, i-Italiya ne-USA. Ukongeza, amazwe aliqela eCaribbean anje ngeAntigua kunye neBarbuda, iBarbados, iBelize, iJamaica, iSt Kitts kunye neNevis kunye neSt.Vincent kunye neGrenadines zenze irhafu efanayo kwiindawo zokuhlala zeendwendwe. Ngokumiliselwa kweRhafu yoKhenketho kunye nokuncitshiswa kweVAT, olu manyano lubeka irhafu kwindawo yokuhlala eSaint Lucia phakathi kwezona ziphantsi kwi-OECS naseCARICOM, nakwezinye iindawo zabakhenkethi kwihlabathi liphela.
Yongeza ilizwi lakhe, Mongameli we Umbutho wokungenisa izihambi kunye nezoKhenketho eSanta Lucia UNkosazana Karolin Troubetzkoy uthe: “Iihotele zethu zaseSanta Lucia ziyakuxabisa ukubaluleka kweGunya lezoKhenketho elixhaswa ngemali ukukhuthaza indawo esiya kuyo nokugcina umda wethu wokhuphiswano ngokuthi siqhubele phambili ngokuphucula amava ethu ahlukeneyo esiqithi. Yiyo loo nto sikuxhasayo ukungeniswa kwale rhafu yezokhenketho kwaye sizakwenza konke okusemandleni ethu ukuququzelela ukuphunyezwa kwayo. ”
Njenge-arhente ejongene nolawulo lweRhafu, iGunya lezoKhenketho eSaint Lucia liza kuqalisa ngenkqubo yokubhalisa ababoneleli beenkonzo zeendawo zokuhlala kwesi siqithi. Nje ukuba babhaliswe, aba baboneleli ngendawo yokuhlala baya kuqhagamshelana namahlakani abo kushishino lwabathengisi bamanye amazwe kunye newebhusayithi yokubhukisha ukuze kuqokelelwe umrhumo kwiindwendwe.
I-Saint Lucia iyaqhubeka nokuba yindawo yokhetho oluphezulu kwihlabathi liphela kwiindawo zothando, zokupheka, ukonwabisa, ukuntywila, usapho kunye nempilo kunye nokuba sempilweni.
