It was a beautiful Sunday with weather predicted to remain cool and stable. This was the day the Air Passenger Duty Tax re-banding committee staged their outdoor family funday at Blagdons Cricket Club in New Malden Surrey.
Conceived on the generosity of the Blagdons Cricket Club to use the premises, the committee set to work to raise the profile of the Air Passenger Duty Tax Re-Banding Campaign which primarily seeks to deter the British government from further increasing the tax on travel to the Caribbean and also to pressure MPs in large Caribbean constituencies to influence the government to change the current APD band the Caribbean resides in, Band ‘D’ which suggests the Caribbean is located beyond 6000 miles from Britain to ‘C’ which relates to countries located between 4000 and 6000 miles away from Britain.
With a cricket match featuring a few local notables and games for the kids including a bouncy castle and mini cricket matches there were food stalls, book stalls, drinks stalls and the prolific Caribbean telecommunications provider DIGICEL. Music was provide by DJ Mr Marlon which had people dancing and singing to their favourite reggae, calypso and soca tunes. The Ebony Steel Band were a hit as they put to pan some classic Caribbean folk and pop tunes. Ms Nataylia Roni sung a couple of songs for the dining guests.
The highlight of the day’s event was the visit of the High Commissioner for Jamaica, H.E Mrs. Aloun Ndombet-Assamba. HC Ndombet-Assamba who was assisted by double crotches to aid her walking graced the event and spoke at a special dinner for dignitaries and guests. She stressed her personal and her colleagues’ recognition of the work of the committee and provided some insight into the genesis of the struggle by Caribbean governments since 2009 to present a fairer system of taxing Caribbean bound travellers.
Chairman of the Air Passenger Duty re-Banding Committee, Mr Gilmour Smith praised the efforts of the committee members for their dedication and hard work in making the day possible. He too spoke of the need to be resolute and unrelenting if the objectives of the committee are to be realised. The event went on until 7 pm and provided an opportunity for the planning of many more successful events in the future.
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