Oudtshoorn - From prostitutes to shebeen operators will have to pay a "tourism levy" at this Little Karoo town as from next year.
"From the town's prostitutes working Langenhoven Street to the operators of local shebeens will have to start paying a new surcharge in the form of a tourism levy because all of them are in the tourism industry," said Pierre Nel, speaker of the Oudtshoorn municipality.
"Even the taxi owners who transport workers to and from guest houses, and people involved in garden services, will have to pay the levy," he said.
He recently explained at the annual general meeting of the Oudtshoorn and De Rust tourism bureaus what this surcharge, known as "rates-based allocation", entailed and said that everybody involved in tourism had to start coughing up for the privilege.
According to Nel even the funeral undertaker benefits from tourism.
"When I worked in Plettenberg Bay as head of tourism I buried five tourists."
Members of both bureaus agreed with an overwhelming majority to the introduction of the surcharge which, according to Nel, was already functioning with tremendous success in Southern Cape towns such as Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and Mossel Bay.
Nel said the levy would range between a monthly minimum of R7.50 to a maximum of R110.00 for big businesses.
He emphasised community involvement before the levy system was to be introduced eventually.
According to Nel consultants would be appointed to determine what amount would have to be paid by the various role players and mentioned July 2007 as a possible date for the introduction of the system.
He gave the assurance that members would quickly see the advantages of the system.
The municipal manager, Mervin May, said the municipality would still be responsible for social development.
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1999455,00.html
"From the town's prostitutes working Langenhoven Street to the operators of local shebeens will have to start paying a new surcharge in the form of a tourism levy because all of them are in the tourism industry," said Pierre Nel, speaker of the Oudtshoorn municipality.
"Even the taxi owners who transport workers to and from guest houses, and people involved in garden services, will have to pay the levy," he said.
He recently explained at the annual general meeting of the Oudtshoorn and De Rust tourism bureaus what this surcharge, known as "rates-based allocation", entailed and said that everybody involved in tourism had to start coughing up for the privilege.
According to Nel even the funeral undertaker benefits from tourism.
"When I worked in Plettenberg Bay as head of tourism I buried five tourists."
Members of both bureaus agreed with an overwhelming majority to the introduction of the surcharge which, according to Nel, was already functioning with tremendous success in Southern Cape towns such as Knysna, Plettenberg Bay and Mossel Bay.
Nel said the levy would range between a monthly minimum of R7.50 to a maximum of R110.00 for big businesses.
He emphasised community involvement before the levy system was to be introduced eventually.
According to Nel consultants would be appointed to determine what amount would have to be paid by the various role players and mentioned July 2007 as a possible date for the introduction of the system.
He gave the assurance that members would quickly see the advantages of the system.
The municipal manager, Mervin May, said the municipality would still be responsible for social development.
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_1999455,00.html