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Cut the red tape, roll out the red carpet – Shadow Minister

Source: Tourism Update, 10/10/2016

Shadow Minister of Tourism, James Vos, says the e-visa system is the
solution to the current visa issues.

The DA`s shadow Minister of Tourism, James Vos, is to write to Deputy
President, Cyril Ramaphosa to escalate the roll-out of electronic
visas as a matter of urgency. According to Vos, the long-term
prosperity of the SA tourism industry is at stake.

"The e-visa system is the solution to the current visa regulation
catastrophe, and would facilitate easier access for tourists to South
Africa," said Vos, citing the biometric visa as problematic since it
came into effect, with obstacles such a long immigration queues and
foreign missions ill-equipped to deal with applications.

Vos said he would also remind Ramaphosa that, in terms of the
concessions recently announced by the Inter-Ministerial Committee
(IMC), these were only policy statements and not a decision yet. "The
outstanding matters from the IMC recommendations are the actual
amendment to the immigration regulations that deals with the
requirement of the unabridged birth certificates and the announcement
on visa exemptions for BRIC countries, to ease travel and increase
tourist arrivals to the country."

Vos said electronic visas would cut the turnaround time for issuing
travel documentation, and were more secure than existing permits. "We
need to streamline tourist facilitation to our country to make it
easier for travellers to select South Africa as a country of choice
when it comes to travel and trade.

"Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa must immediately put an end to the
cloak and dagger Inter-Ministerial Committee set up to `consider the
unintended consequences` of these job-killing visa regulations, and
institute a substantive and full-scale review that seeks to assess
both their suitability and effect."

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