An economist has backed the downward adjustment of visa fees by government in the proposed 2021/2022 national budget.

Visa fees for neighboring countries have been reduced from US$150  to US$80  where as single entry visa fee has been reduced from US$75 dollars to US$50.

The economist Betchani Tchereni said the reduction will revive the tourism industry which has been hardly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The tourism industry has suffered the most, so many hotels closed and people lost their jobs.

“We would have loved if the fees were reduced further but either way it is a good gesture to have them reduced because it can attract tourists and it can be a good move to revive the tourism industry,” he said.