They show changes The new executive president of the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (Intur), Mario Salinas, guaranteed that he will give to continuity to the policies and strategies of tourist promotion that established the ex- holder of the Intur, Maria Nelly Rivas.       Nevertheless, he advanced that they are going to define new niches of specific markets that could be interested in Nicaragua. “For example we thought to make contact with the enemy with the Association of Retired of the United States”, mentioned. It added that it has the intention to reform the Law of Pensioners, stops among other things to install, in the country, focused centers of attention in this segment.

In good gust of wind     In the 2003 national tourism generated currencies by the order of the 151,8 million dollars; in the 2004 number it reached the 166,4 million dollars; in the 2005 it reached the 183 million dollars, and in the 2006 contribution of the sector it was quantified in 239 million dollars. This year hopes that the industry grows in 262.9 million.

The application of the Special Law for the Bond Creation of Tourist Investment (Law BIT), approved in the general in December of the 2004, was discarded yesterday by the new Government.

The new holder of the Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism (Intur), Mario Salinas, confirmed that instead of implementing bonds they are choosing for the second time to reform the Law of Incentives for the Tourist Industry, Law 306, facing impelling the tourist investments in the country.

“Right now the legal department of the institution is preparing the reform proposal, and about that sense we thought to resort to lawyers of greater experience so that they support to us with his formulation”, it indicated the minister.

The previous thing declared it during the first official encounter that it had with investors of the United States, Canada and Nicaragua, that have interest in the tourist complex that develops the Pacific Big Group to 10 kilometers of Montelimar.

The adviser of the Intur, Omar Barahona, explained to the PRESS that the described reform includes the extension of the constructive stage of the projects related to the tourism.

“Law 306 has established that stage in three years, but the reality is that the projects require of more time, we have even seen ourselves in the necessity to grant to great projects additional terms, for that reason we want to extend that phase”, argued.

“Aside from that we try to restitute the ISC (Imposed Selective of Consumption) for equipment of activities as the hotelkeeper (between these carpets, television sets, glasswork, conditioneds air, among others) that was eliminated with the Law of Equidad Fiscal (LEF)”, specified.

WITHOUT CONSENSUS

In the reform proposal, at the moment, they are not had including the considerations of the private sector.

Pero Barahona assured that that will do it in the next weeks, before putting under the reform the plenary one of the National Assembly, organ that if will decide it is applied or not propose it.

The president of the National Camera of Tourism (Canatur), Lucy Valenti, commented that the next week they will conform, with delegates of the Superior Council of the Privada Company (Cosep) and of the economic team of president Daniel Ortega, a committee to review the priorities of the sector, between these the Law BIT.

“We Are going to review the BIT to define positions, as industralists we think that the BIT is a beneficial mechanism for the sector and Nicaragua, but are open to other incentives that favor the industry”, it emphasized.

EXPERT AGAINST

The independent economist Jose Luis Medal, nevertheless, objected the fact to favor to the tourism with more fiscal stimuli.

“To me it seems to me that those policies of incentives are mistaken, they are not correct, because they are not ample”, stressed.

“The great international fiscal experts, even the International Monetary Fund (the IMF), organism with which Nicaragua must negotiate a new economic program), recommend not to give incentives to specific sectors, inclusively suggest the tributary political governments of ample base and with low rates”, he remembered.

“That implies that Law 306 to as exists already is extremely generous for the tourist industralists in Nicaragua, because with that law, in agreement with economic studies, the State is an idiot investor because it subsidizes the 66 percent of the projects of the investors”, emphasized.

Medal suggested instead of granting more special incentives “, the new Government would have to improve the infrastructure.

“For example it would have to materialize the costanera highway”, emphasized.

Sandinista deputy Wálmaro Gutiérrez clarified that before showing support or rejection to any reform, including a the BIT, the parliament will have to know the impact fiscal that they would have when being applied at local level.

“That means that the Ministry of Property will have to issue a fiscal ruling on the reform or the BIT, with that we then we will be able to emit a position”, emphasized.