Executive Order No. 256, will change the date of the implementation of the green fee to April 1, 2009.
The original order dates the implementation o Oct.1, 2008.Under the order, the Minister of Finance will be authorized to implement a tourist and visitor arrival environmental protection fee of $30.The new order also authorizes the Director of Bureau of Revenue, Customs and Taxation to promulgate regulations necessary to implement the amendments.According to the order, the regulations should be submitted to the Office of the President for review by no later than July 31, 2009.However , the Senate earlier on final and third reading the proposed measure which will repeal the law collecting a green fee from tourists departing Palau.According to Senate Bill No. 8-47, SD1, the tourism industry is a delicate industry which is a major contributor to our economic growth and that it repeals RPPL No. 7-42 and RPPL No. 7-57.“But the Olbiil Era Kelulau finds that both RPPL No. 7-42 and 7-57 acts as deterrents for tourism growth in the Republic in a time when the number of tourists arriving in Palau is declining due to the global economic crisis.” The bill stated that RPPL No. 7-42 and RPPL No. 7-57 should be repealed in their entirety, and that the Protected Areas Network (PAN) law should revert back to its previous form.The bill has been transmitted to the House of Delegates for action.
