The Jamaica Hotel and Tourist Association (JHTA) is stepping up the pressure on the government over its opposition to proposed property tax hikes.
JHTA has called on member hoteliers to withhold payments until there is sufficient consultation on the matter with government officials.
Minister of Finance Audley Shaw announced a new property tax policy earlier this month which is set to be imposed with effect from April 1.
Taxes will be based on 2013 valuations which will see some hotels paying increases of up to 980%, JHTA claims.
"We think that’s ludicrous, it is gouging …and what is unfathomable about it is that there has been no dialogue. Nobody knows the computation of these formulae that were used to calculate them. We need to know how it is computed," Omar Robinson, president of the JHTA said.
"We want them to at least explain to us how they are justifying the increase. The range of increase is far too varied."
"Our operating costs are increasing. We can’t go to our tour operators and increase our rates," he added.
