The Ministry of Finance has pledged further dialogue with members of the reportedly floundering tour boat industry - while expressing “surprise and disappointment” that they opted to speak to the media.

A letter written by Financial Secretary Donald Scott to the Tour Boat Owners Association president Mike Gladwin was faxed to The Royal Gazette yesterday, which refuted the TBOA's claim that their plight was not being taken seriously.

As revealed in yesterday's paper, local tour boat owners have been suffering for some years under what they see as a discriminatory tax burdens which are destroying their livelihoods.

Unlike other sectors of the tourism industry, they said, including hotels, restaurants and sports fishing boats, they do not receive a broad range of duty concessions and tax breaks and are increasingly struggling to make ends meet.

Their frustration turned to anger earlier this month, when they discovered that the replica freedom ship the Amistad had her charter certificate fast-tracked, her duty and immigration requirements waived and was running charters at prices which far undercut their own.

Meanwhile, in his letter, Mr. Scott said Government “recognises” the tour boat industry as a very important part of the tourism product, and would continue on with “good faith” discussions once the TBOA have produced financial records to highlight their concerns.

Mr. Scott also said he wanted to clarify the incorrect statement issued by the TBOA when they said they had met with Finance Ministry representative Hasan Durham in February.

In fact, Mr. Scott claimed, the meeting took place at the end of March this year, and that Mr. Durham had made it clear that requests for relief must be put in writing and that they would not normally be addressed “outside the annual budget period”.

Furthermore, he pointed out that commercial tour boat operators have been eligible to apply for duty deferrals “for many decades” - although The Royal Gazette understands it can take up to a year to receive the reimbursement, which then has to be paid back within fours years.