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Tasi: Managaha landing fees are accounted for
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Posted on Mar 15 2006
Landing fees collected from Managaha visitors are properly accounted, according to the island’s leaseholder.
Tasi Tours general manager David Igitol said that his company has been conscientious in handling Managaha landing fees. He made this statement in reaction to the governor’s comment about the alleged lack of accountability in the Managaha fee collection.
Igitol clarified that rangers hired by the defunct Marianas Public Lands Authority collect the fees from tourists. At the end of each day, the money is transferred to Tasi Tours for deposit to the Managaha landing fee trust account.
Tasi Tours submits a collection and expenditure report to Public Lands every six months. The auditing firm Ernst and Young also conducts yearly audits of Tasi Tours’ financial statements, including the Managaha account.
“I just wanted to clarify that the collection of fees in Managaha is not ‘out of control.’ The MPLA rangers do they collection and we provide them with a cash box where they put the money,” Igitol said.
He also said that Tasi Tours was interested in submitting a proposal when the Managaha concession was again put to bid this year.
Tasi Tours has held the Managaha lease since 1989. Its current lease agreement with Public Lands will expire at the end of August 2006.
Gov. Benigno R. Fitial said Friday that he wanted the next Managaha leaseholder to have more accountability in the collection of the landing fees.
“There will be definitely one requirement that I want the new concession to include [in the contract] and that is better accountability in the collection of the landing fees. I believe that presently, it is out of control,” the governor said.
Tourists who visit Managaha Island are assessed a landing fee of $5 each. Managaha landing fees average over $1 million a year.
