By Nazario Rodriguez Jr.
Horizon news staff

The Senate passed on second reading recently the bill that seeks to prohibit non-Palauan citizens from driving tour boats, tour buses or taxi.
In a 14-page report by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Governmental Affairs and Foreign Relations, the bill is intended to promote the employment of Paluans in the tourist industry.
Sen. Mlib Tmetuchl introduced SB No. 7-50, SD1 on February 3, 2005.
The committee said that it has made substantial changes to the measure, which it said that these changes are both technical and substantive in nature and amended the statues with which the original Bill conflicted.
The committee further explained that some of the changes were made to the Bill based upon the Committee’s collection of comments from the public.
It said that comments were received from the Palau Chamber of Commerce, NECO Marine, NECO Tour, Splash, the Palau Aggressor, Cliffside Hotel, Etpison Museum, Palau Boaters Association, Belau Tourism Association and the Ministry of Commerce and Trade.
The committee report noted that the comments were supportive of the bill adding that those comments from the private tour operators mainly confirmed that local tour operators and tourists generally prefer to interact with Palauans instead of foreigners.
The committee also said that the same tour operators stated that there are occasionally insufficient Palauan and foreign operators combined to service the industry and that some Palaun employees are occasionally poor workers.
The committee also reported that the tour operators further commented that there is a need for foreigner to work in the industry in order for it to function at the highest possible level.
The committee noted that the Ministry of Commerce and Trade supported this comment.
It also said that both the MCT and the private sectors commented that SB 7-50, SD1 would put unnecessary additional strain on the tourism industry in Palau.
The committee made those changes section by section such as in General Provisions, the committee said it felt essential to include a definition of non-citizen in the Bill as its primary substantive provisions apply to non-citizens.
It also said that the term operator is intended to be somewhat broader than driver while it is still may include the driver and is in line with reference contained in those statutes that were amended.
It also said that as the Bill would establish controls over tour businesses that offer marine/water tourism, a definition of ‘water excursion’ was added to the Bill.