Minister of Finance Urged to Move Forward on Important Airport Industry
Initiatives

Standing Committee on Finance recommends allowing international travellers to buy duty free goods upon arrival in Canada

OTTAWA , Dec. 10 /CNW Telbec/ - Canada airports today applauded a key parliamentary recommendation, and urged the Minister of Finance to implement the program, which would allow travellers to buy duty free goods upon arrival into Canada - a program known as arrivals duty free.

"Arrivals duty free is a long-standing request of Canada's airports, and we encourage the Minister of Finance to adopt the standing committee's recommendation on this valuable program," said CAC President and CEO Jim Facette.

Arrivals Duty Free will allow Canadian airport duty free operators to grow their businesses and repatriate duty free sales currently lost to foreign duty free operators. "ADF would be good for Canada's airports, travellers and the Canadian economy," said Mr. Facette

Its sixth report to this parliament, 'Prosperous and Sustainable Future for Canada: Needed Federal Actions,' the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance made the recommendation as part of its pre-budgetary consultations. Canada's airports now look to the Minister of Finance to adopt the recommendation as part of the federal budget to be introduced in the spring.

The Finance Committee also acknowledged several other requests Canada's airports community, most notably the development of foreign/free trade zones, a permanent solution for small airport funding and the elimination of airport rent.

The committee recommended that the government should develop and implement proactive policies to expand key sectors of the economy and to support targeted high value activities. Free/foreign trade, zones provide for the ability to add value and research and development in export oriented and tariff free environment.

The committee also drew attention to CAC members call for the elimination of airport rents, noting that Canada is one of a limited number of countries that charge such rents. The committee was informed that, with a number of shovel-ready small airport projects that have not received funding, the government should develop a permanent program to fund small National Airport System (NAS) and non-NAS airports.

About the Canadian Airports Council

The Canadian Airports Council (CAC) is the voice for Canada's airports. Its 47 members represent more than 200 airports, including all of the National Airports System (NAS) airports and most significant municipal airports in every province and territory. Together, CAC members handle virtually all of the nation's air cargo and international passenger traffic and 95% of domestic passenger traffic. They create in excess of $45 billion in economic activity in the communities they serve. And more than 200,000 jobs are directly associated with CAC member airports, generating a payroll of more than $8 billion annually.

For further information: Daniel-Robert Gooch, Director of Communications, Canadian Airports Council, [phone] ext 16, [email protected]