Seukeran likes idea of fee to visit Sando Hill

WHILE agreeing with the institution of a fee for persons wanting to tour the San Fernando Hill — a protected National Heritage site — Junior Trade and Industry Minister and San Fernando (West) MP Diane Seukeran, has labelled the intended charges as “too high” for locals to pay, to visit the famous South landmark.

However, Seukeran pointed out that the concept to charge a “nominal fee” to visit the Hill had been formulated since the late 1980s, to offset security, maintenance and development costs. She recalled that a San Fernando Hill Management Committee (SFHMC), comprising members of various government ministries, together with Southern businessmen, under the direction of the then NAR Agriculture Minister Lincoln Myers, was mandated to develop and implement a plan to maintain the Hill. “We looked at charging a nominal fee for the Hill’s maintenance, especially as it was just officially declared a national park,” she said. But the outspoken businesswoman-turned-politician described the new charges as “steep.” “The Committee now has to explain how they arrived at the five and two-dollar charge for adults and children respectively, and how that money will be used,” she told Newsday yesterday. She added that a Government-appointed committee did not have the authority to level a monetary fee on a unilateral basis.

However, Conservator of Forests and chairman of the Hill’s management committee, Sheriff Faizool, said the committee, after consultation with the  Public Utilities and  Environment Minister Rennie Dumas, had decided to implement the fees from August 4. “Basically, the Hill is regarded as an ‘open-house’ area, with all sorts of unauthorised activity taking place, so the introduction of this fee will add a measure of control to the site,” Faizool said. He pointed out that all monies would be deposited into the Government’s Consolidated Fund for use on developmental projects at the Hill. “The Hill has a number of unique features that must be preserved for future generations and a number of additional facilities and measures have been identified for the Hill,” he said. The Hill’s eight-member management committee comprises representatives of the San Fernando City Corporation, the Tourism Industrial Development Company (TIDCO) and members of the Ministry of Public Utilities and the Environment. Visitors can purchase tickets at Forestry Division offices at Long Circular Mall, St James, Pleasantville, and San Fernando.