Tourism Minister Renee Webb yesterday accused David Dodwell of twisting the truth for political purposes when he said no one had been paid anything from the Hotel Concessions Act.

The Shadow Tourism Minister said none of the seven hotels which applied had received a cent yet.

But Ms Webb said no hotel could receive benefits yet because under the rules of the Act, the relief did not kick in until until one year after a completion certificate for refurbishments was signed.

She said the first hotel to receive its benefits would be Cambridge Beaches next April. The two Fairmont Hotels will get theirs in November next year.

Mr. Dodwell said Government was "crowing" about how hotels were enjoying benefits under the Act but none had received any.

Any duty relief the hotels currently enjoyed was under the 1991 Temporary Customs Duty Relief Act for building materials, introduced by the previous United Bermuda Party Government.

Under the Hotel Concessions Act, the hotels get exemption from hotel occupancy tax for a year after their opening certificate has been signed, and will get duty relief on alcohol for five years after opening if they use the relief for Bermudian entertainment.

The hotels, which also get land tax exemption, have to provide one year's audited proof of their marketing, Bermudian entertainment and training expenditures.

"Even the most sympathetic assessment of Mr. Dodwell's comments cannot escape the conclusion that self-interest is guiding his pronouncements in addition to a liberal misinterpretation of the facts," said Ms Webb.

"I cannot help but surmise that Mr. Dodwell's comments were an attempt to play politics with the Act. Ironically, as a hotelier (who owns The Reef s), Mr. Dodwell is all too familiar with the contents of the Hotel Concessions Act."

Mr. Dodwell said: "The public cannot easily separate the new part of the Hotel Concessions Act from the existing 1991 Temporary Customs Relief Act.

"Every hotel benefits from that and it has been injected into the Hotel Concessions Act and they are crowing about it and getting the credit for it.

"I'm not opposed to the Act or trying to torpedo it, but don't crow about it and say everyone is getting the benefits from the act. It's just not true.

"I deny any self-interest motivation. The Reefs has not finished its refurbishments and not finalised its applications."