Travel News
UK Met Office Issues 'Danger to Life' Warning for Rain and Floods
By
The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for heavy rain and deep floodwater that could cause "danger to life".
The warning covers south and mid-Wales from Newport to Carmarthen and north to Brecon between 3pm on Sunday and 6am on Monday.
FULL LIST: US excludes UK, others from visa-free entry for 2025 - PUNCH
The United States, on Monday, released the list of eligible countries for its 2025 Visa Waiver Programme.
The United Kingdom was excluded from the programme but remains eligible under specific conditions.
The list also does not include any African countries, such as Nigeria, Ghana, or South Africa.
While most of the VWP list remains unchanged, the addition of Romania marks a significant update. The US has also focused on enhancing security checks and prioritising countries with strong diplomatic ties and border security standards.
According to the US Bureau of Consular Affairs website, the Visa Waiver Programme allows most citizens or nationals of participating countries to travel to the United States for tourism or business for up to 90 days without obtaining a visa.
The agency stated, “Travellers must have a valid Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval prior to travel and meet all requirements explained below. If you prefer to have a visa in your passport, you may still apply for a visitor visa.”
The new Visa Waiver Programme for 2025 introduces policy updates on permit eligibility and revisions to the list of participating countries, as well as new travel policies.
This update simplifies visa-free entry into the United States for millions worldwide, making business, tourism, and transit travel more accessible.
The 2025 Visa Waiver Programme includes 40 countries whose citizens can now travel to the United States without a visa.
See the full list below:
1. Andorra,
2. Australia,
3. Austria,
4. Belgium,
5. Chile,
6. Czech Republic,
7. Croatia,
8. Denmark,
9. Estonia,
10. Finland,
11. France,
12. Germany,
13. Greece,
14. Hungary,
15. Iceland,
16. Ireland,
17. Italy,
18. Israel,
19. Norway,
20. Poland,
21. Portugal,
22. San Marino,
23. Singapore,
24. Slovakia,
25. Japan,
26. Slovenia,
27. Latvia,
28. South Korea,
29. Liechtenstein,
30. Spain,
31. Lithuania,
32. Sweden,
33. Luxembourg,
34. Switzerland,
35. Malta,
36. Netherlands,
37. New Zealand,
38. Qatar,
39. Romania
40. Monaco
Airlines, ground handling companies clash over fees - PUNCH
Ground handling companies and indigenous airlines in Nigeria are clashing over the introduction of a safety threshold ground handling charge despite the intervention of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority.
The acting Director-General of NCAA, Capt Chris Najomo held a meeting with both parties on Friday about the matter, but his intervention did not resolve the issue. He thereafter directed the airline operators and the ground handling companies to schedule another meeting.
Najomo also directed the parties to reach a truce on the issue on or before Wednesday, when another meeting is expected to be held on the issue.
Ground handling companies introduced a new tariff last year after reviewing the charge, which was last reviewed about three years ago.
It was gathered that the new charge was raised by about 200 per cent to bring the safety threshold fee at par with what was obtainable in many African countries.
If the new charge is effected, airlines may start paying between N200,000 and N300,000 as against the N70,000 for handling a Boeing 737 aircraft while handling a CRJ aircraft and some other aircraft may increase to between N150,000 and N250,000.
In the past three years, while domestic airlines had raised their fares by over 700 per cent, the reverse had been the case with the handling companies whose previous efforts to increase their handling charges were met with stiff criticisms.
The handling companies currently charge N70,000 for B737, and N50,000 for CRJ and Embraer, while Dash 8 is handled at N25,000 per flight, or their equivalent as approved by the NCAA three years ago.
The PUNCH further gathered that the airlines also lament over the skyrocketing operational cost and government multiple charges they incur.
Meanwhile, multiple insider officials who attended the meeting between the airlines, ground handling companies, and the NCAA told our correspondent that the indigenous airlines through their umbrella body, Airline Operators of Nigeria, expressed dissatisfaction with the increment.
They said the airlines claimed that they were not consulted by the handling companies before attempting to effect the new charge.
The airlines also decried the new handling rates proposed by the ground handling companies to be about 600 per cent.
It was further gathered that the handling companies at the meeting reacted, insisting that due consultations were done by the companies before the new charge was introduced.
They also claimed that the increment was less than 300 per cent, adding that the continuous drop of the naira against foreign currencies, among other reasons, necessitated their action.
The handlers declared that the various ground support equipment used for handling aircraft by the companies were imported.
The Managing Director of Aero Contractors, Ado Sanusi, condemned the ground handling companies for arbitrarily increasing handling rates.
He warned that such an increase would cause havoc on Nigeria’s already fragile aviation industry and further deepen its challenges.
But, Chris Aligbe, an aviation consultant, debunked the claim of the ground handling companies forming a cartel neither did they engage in price fixing as purported in some quarters.
According to Aligbe, there are three handling companies in Nigeria, including Butake Handling Company, Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc and Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc.
He said, “I am not aware of price fixing. The truth is that the ground handling companies are more than two and they are not cartels. There is a Butake Handling Company, it’s a small one, but it’s growing. So, the question of stopping other handling companies from coming in is not true.
“Again, I’m not aware that they are cooperating in prices. I know they charge different rates; they handle foreign and local airlines and their charges have not been the same. So, if I’m charging N400 and you are charging N200 and you decide to increase it to N300, yes, the prices will still not be the same amount. So, I can’t say they are into price fixing.
“And the question of a 600 per cent increase is again not true. I made some investigations and I know it is about a 300 per cent increment or so.”
Fed Govt to build 80-metre bridge at Dangote Refinery - THE NATION
The Federal Government said it plans to construct an 80-metre span bridge in front of the Dangote Refinery as part of Section 2 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project.
This development aims to ensure seamless movement of trucks accessing the refinery.
The Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed this during the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway stakeholder meeting in Lagos at the weekend.
He said the bridge was designed to facilitate efficient truck traffic in front of the refinery, enhancing logistics and reducing congestion in the area.
“When we move to Section 2 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, we are confronted with the beautiful project of the Lekki Free Zone.
“We have to pass in front of the Dangote Refinery, so we have come to design an 80-metre span bridge over that section to allow seamless truck movement without any obstruction,” Umahi stated.
He said the design took into consideration existing infrastructure and environmental factors. According to him, the government avoided routing the road through Navy land and navigated around a school to minimize disruptions.
Umahi also provided an update on the progress of Section 1 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road within Lagos.
He said Section 1, spanning 47.47 kilometres and ending at Eleko Junction—the starting point of Section 2—commenced construction by Hitech in March 2024. He added that 30 kilometres of this section are expected to be ready for commissioning by May 2025, showcasing significant progress so far.
Umahi highlighted challenges encountered during the construction, revealing that over 10 kilometres of Section 1 were covered with topsoil, which had accumulated from years of refuse dumping. As a result, the contractor had to excavate up to 10 metres and then sand-fill back to ground level before proceeding to the desired elevation.
Due to the need for ground settlement, the government and the contractor agreed to temporarily halt work on the affected parts. However, Umahi noted that settlement tests had recently been conducted, achieving 100 per cent stability which provided the go-ahead to proceed with the construction.
While he stated that 30 kilometre of the 47.47 kilo metre would be ready for commissioning by President Bola Tinubu in May, he added that the remaining 17.47 kilo metre had been fully sand-filled up to Eleko Junction.
The Controller of Works, Lagos, Keisha Korede explained that payment of compensation on properties on the Right of Way (RoW) is ongoing. She also noted other minor complaints that the contractor encountered in the course of executing the job.
She said: “Aside from the payment of compensation on properties, another major challenge is that of the Lekki Free Zone, which falls within Phase I, Section II measuring 55.77 kilometres in length. The contractor promised to deliver this section of the road by May, 2025”.
Umahi also settled the conflict involving stakeholders, including the Lekki Free Trade and the Lagos Free Trade Zones to enable the contractors to have unhindered access for the construction of the road.
According to the minister, the Lekki and Lagos Free Zone Companies requested compensation on their properties that will be affected by the ongoing construction, additional flyovers, points for water discharge, solar lights and lots more. He pledged to address the requests within the possible shortest time, adding that they would be compensated for the properties being affected. He, however, advised them to leverage the Federal Government’s water discharge points into the lagoon, where solar lights will be provided, as well as the incorporation of an additional two interchanges to the initial design.
At the end of the meeting both the Management of the Lekki and Lagos Free Trade Zone Companies commended the Minister for initiating the meeting and addressing the issues on the ground. For them, the engagement is a great leap forward to ease of doing business.
The minister attributed the actualisation of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and other legacy projects across the country as catalysts for the country’s economic emancipation.
He said that “the project, designed to traverse nine states along Nigeria’s shoreline, is an investment in our collective future.”
According to him, the Coastal Highway will incorporate wind turbines within its corridor to generate clean energy, which will earn the country carbon credit, thereby putting Nigeria on the global pedestal of environment-friendly nations.
He said: “There will be windmill energy for the benefit of the adjoining communities, solar lights, as well as train service in-between the entire alignment, which will stimulate lots of socio-economic investments along coastal corridors.”
He added that the legacy projects passing through the Northern parts of the country will include dams for electricity generation and agricultural irrigation purposes along their corridors apart from the train tracks.
Umahi commended the contractor, Hitech Africa Construction Limited for its demonstrated technical prowess. He also praised them on the pace of the project, array of equipment, quality, and above all, the company’s readiness and determination to deliver on agreed standards and timelines.
Lagos-Calabar highway: FG signs deal to attract foreign investments - PUNCH
The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Works, has signed the Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Finance contract for the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway Project with Messrs. Hitech Construction Company Nig. Ltd.
This contract allows the contractor, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Finance, to secure foreign investment for the project, a statement by the works minister’s Special Adviser on Media, Uchenna Orji, stated on Tuesday.
He said the agreement is in accordance with the Renewed Hope administration’s roadmap to securing sustainable funding for the laudable and ambitious Legacy Projects that will stimulate economic growth.
During the signing ceremony, the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, said the project had been the vision of President Bola Tinubu years ago and has now come to fruition under the Renewed Hope administration.
He assured that, with the contractor’s capabilities and the clear political will of Mr President, the 750km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project would be completed by the grace of God before the end of Mr. President’s second term.
He said “We are very grateful to God almighty for this project that Mr President initiated.
A dream of about 27 years back is made flesh before us, and we are fortunate to be part of this wonderful, evolving, mega project, the biggest ever known in Africa- the Lagos-Calabar Superhighway.
So today, we have signed the EPC+F contract, which is Engineering, Procurement, Construction plus Finance.”
Speaking on the importance of the agreement, he said, “Now the beauty of it is that the F component of EPC + F is what is being fulfilled today. So, by signing this EPC+ F contract, it is paving the way for the contractor through the Federal Ministry of Finance to bring in foreign investment into this project. The Federal Government commitment is 30 per cent counterpart funding, which the President is fulfilling.”
He added, “And now there is a foreign component of the project, that is, foreign financing that will come in, it’s going to fast track the performance of this project, and I am happy with the performance of Hitech, with the quality of work they are doing and the speed of work. If not for settlement of a very high fee, we would have been able to commission the entire first section within one year of the project, even though it is for 36 months.”
Recall that the government initiated the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway in March 2024, with the first phase covering 47.7km in Lagos, beginning at Ahmadu Bello Way. This phase is expected to be completed by May 2025.
Umahi said a kilometre of the road would be constructed at a total cost of N4bn.
American Airlines flight discontinues landing to avoid departing plane at Washington National - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — An American Airlines plane arriving at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport discontinued its landing, performing a go-around at an air traffic controller’s instruction to avoid getting too close to another aircraft departing from the same runway, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
The maneuver involving American Flight 2246 from Boston occurred around 8:20 a.m. Tuesday, less than two hours before another plane attempting to land at Chicago’s Midway Airport was forced to climb back into the sky to avoid another aircraft crossing the runway. Southwest said Flight 2504 from Omaha, Nebraska, safely landed “after the crew performed a precautionary go-around to avoid a possible conflict with another aircraft that entered the runway,” an airline spokesperson said in an email. “The crew followed safety procedures and the flight landed without incident.”
American Airlines did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the go-around at Washington National.
The past few weeks have seen four major aviation disasters in North America. They include the Feb. 6 crash of a commuter plane in Alaska that killed all 10 people on board and the Jan. 26 midair collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines flight at National Airport that killed all 67 aboard the two aircraft.
A medical transport jet with a child patient, her mother and four others aboard crashed Jan. 31 into a Philadelphia neighborhood. That crash killed seven people, including all those aboard, and injured 19 others.
Twenty-one people were injured Feb. 17 when a Delta flight flipped and landed on its roof at Toronto’s Pearson Airport.
The Associated Press
Canadians scale back travel plans amid higher costs, weak loonie: Survey - YAHOO FINANCE
The vast majority of Canadians are changing their travel plans, according to a new Blue Cross survey, with many reducing trips and opting to stay closer to home as a higher cost of living and a weak Canadian dollar weigh on pocketbooks.
The Blue Cross Travel Study surveyed 2,072 Canadians who had travelled in the past 12 months, or plan to travel in the next year. According to the results, 81 per cent of Canadian travellers have changed their travel habits due to the rising costs, a 12 percentage point increase compared to last year. The higher costs have been exacerbated by a weaker loonie that has been weighed down by tariff conflicts and widening interest rate differentials between the Bank of Canada and the Federal Reserve.
“As financial pressures continue to impact how Canadians travel, the weak dollar is adding to 2025 budget considerations, contributing to how decisions are made for both destination and duration,” Blue Cross of Canada managing director Tim Bishop said in a news release.
That means Canadians have changed their travel plans. The survey found that 36 per cent of respondents are reducing the number of trips they take, while 35 per cent are seeking out cheaper destinations or accommodations. (Respondents were able to pick more than one answer.) Another 31 per cent say they are opting to travel in off-peak season to save on costs, while 25 per cent are choosing to stay closer to home and 22 per cent are shortening their trips. A quarter are choosing to delay or postpone travel plans entirely. About one in 10 (12 per cent) say they are switching to cheaper modes of transportation to save on costs.
Canadians’ travel decisions are also being swayed by geopolitics. The poll found that about half (47 per cent) of Canadians are less likely to visit the U.S. in the next 12 months. However, the survey was conducted after the U.S. election in November, prior to President Donald Trump ramping up tariff threats against Canada. Some Canadians have responded to the threat of tariffs by cancelling travel plans to the U.S.
Although Canadians are changing their travel plans, so far, Canada’s largest airline says it has not seen a decline in near-term bookings, meaning travel demand remains resilient. Air Canada’s executive vice-president of revenue and network planning, Mark Galardo, said on a conference call with analysts earlier this month that booking trends for the second and third quarters of the year are so far “encouraging.”
Galardo says the airline has yet to see softness in U.S. demand, but that the airline is anticipating a possible slowdown and will proactively move capacity to other routes where it sees strength.
The Blue Cross online survey, conducted in November, polled 2,072 Canadian adults. Participants were selected based on demographic and behavioural considerations relevant to the survey. The poll has a margin of error of +/- two per cent, 19 times out of 20.
Alicja Siekierska is a senior reporter at Yahoo Finance Canada. Follow her on X @alicjawithaj.
Nigerian passengers stranded in Togo after Air France flight diversion - PUNCH
Nigerian passengers aboard an Air France flight have been left stranded in Lomé, Togo, following a diversion caused by bad weather in Abuja.
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, raised the alarm over the situation in a statement posted on his official X account on Thursday night.
Keyamo revealed that the Air France flight from Paris to Abuja was unable to land due to adverse weather conditions and was redirected to Lomé. However, he expressed concern over the airline’s handling of the situation.
He said, “I have just been alerted of a situation involving mostly Nigerian passengers left stranded at Lome, Togo, by Air France. I am told that the flight from Paris bound for Abuja could not land due to the bad weather in Abuja this evening. “The flight then diverted to Lome. However, the confounding situation now is that instead of bringing the passengers back to Abuja after the storm subsided, there are plans to leave them in Lome till tomorrow, even when that same flight will return to Abuja tonight to pick up passengers.”
The minister disclosed that he immediately took action to address the issue, engaging both his officials and the airline’s representatives.
“After directing my Director of Air Transport management to call the country manager of Air France, I also personally called Air France Nigeria a few minutes ago and insisted that those passengers must be brought back to Abuja tonight or be treated in line with best international standards if they must sleep in Lome.”
Nigerian Air France passengers diverted to Togo will return tonight – NCAA - PUNCH
The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority has given an update on the passengers who were diverted to Lome in Togo by Air France, following bad weather experienced by the airline in Abuja on Thursday.
On his X handle on Friday, NCAA spokesman, Michael Achimugu said the 55 passengers were housed by the airline in a four-star hotel and will be airlifted back to Nigeria tonight (Friday night).
Recall that the Minister for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, raised the alarm on how Air France was attempting to abandon the passengers in Lome after the aircraft diverted to the neighbouring country following bad weather in Abuja.
Keyamo, In his strongly worded tweet, insisted that the passengers must either be brought into Nigeria yesterday (on Thursday) night or taken care of in accordance with world-class best practices.
The minister’s tweet reads, “I have just been alerted of a situation involving mostly Nigerian passengers left stranded at Lome, Togo, by @airfrance. I am told that the flight from Paris bound for Abuja could not land due to the bad weather in Abuja this evening. The flight then diverted to Lome.
However, the confounding situation now is that instead of bringing the passengers back to Abuja after the storm subsided, there are plans to leave them in Lome till tomorrow, even when that same flight will return to Abuja tonight to pick up passengers.
“After directing my Director of Air Transport management to call the country Manager of @airfrance, I also personally called @AirFranceNG a few minutes ago and insisted that those passengers must be brought back to Abuja tonight or be treated in line with best international standards if they must sleep in Lome.”
Efforts to get the airline’s reaction through their X handle were proved abortive.
Barely 13 hours later, the NCAA spokesperson reported, “ The Nigerians in this situation (due to weather) are comfortably housed in a 4-star hotel in Lome. An Air France aircraft will arrive from Paris tonight to transport all 55 passengers to Abuja. The situation is being monitored, and the airline will submit a compliance report afterwards.”
Achimugu also appreciated the minister for his quick intervention in the matter.
Furore over Scrap of Visa on Arrival Policy - THISDAY
BY Chinedu Eze
Travel experts, Immigration and other Nigerians have thumbed down on the plan by the federal government to scrap visa on arrival policy, saying that the decision is ill-conceived and urged the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo to withdraw the decision and do more consulting in order to take a better decision that will benefit the country.
The experts who spoke to THISDAY said that for the first time, Nigeria took a better decision on how to attract investors and tourists who bring in hard currency into the country, but instead of improving the process, the federal government announced that it wants to scrap the policy in April, noting that so far, it has not been reported that the system has been compromised in terms of insecurity.
The minister was recently quoted as saying that government would discontinue its visa on arrival policy and described it as unsuitable and a potential security risk.
“We believe that it is better for us to make decisions based on objectivity rather than subjectivity. Of course, that will lead to the cancellation of the visa-on-arrival process because visa-on-arrival, we understand, is not a system that works. I don’t expect you to just come to my country without me knowing you’re coming in. No, it’s never done anywhere.
“What we are looking at is that for any decision that borders on immigration into Nigeria, it will be impossible for approvals to be given without the clearance of Interpol, criminal record system and all background checking agencies in real-time. We have to ensure this.
“When it comes to security, life will never remember us for the 99 per cent we get it right. History will remember us for the 1 per cent we do wrong. And security is not a sector where you can afford to be 99.9 per cent accurate. It just has to be 100 per cent,” the minister said.
Tunji-Ojo said government would plan to replace the current visa on arrival system by April 1, 2025, with stricter processes that include pre-arrival clearance and more rigorous screening, ensuring better tracking of travellers and safeguarding Nigeria’s borders.
“So, we are going to bring these massive reforms, and these reforms start between March 1 and April. What we’re trying to do is to be able to safeguard our people. It is for us to be responsible in the comity of nations and to be able to contribute our fair quota to all our foreign international partners,” he stated.
The minister also said the new policy that would be introduced by the current administration would be far-reaching and all-encompassing with technological innovations as its backbone.
He said: “Today, I presided over a meeting on Nigeria’s new visa policy, the Nigeria Visa Policy 2025 (NVP 2025), alongside the Comptroller-General of Immigration, Kemi Nanna Nandap. The proposed visa policy aims to enhance the ease of doing business, boost tourism, and strengthen bilateral and multilateral relations with other countries,” Tunji-Ojo said.
Reviewing the minister’s decision to scrap the visa on arrival policy, experts said the minister’s decision could be encapsulated in one sentence, which is, “What we have now is not secure enough. We want a more secure system.”
They faulted the minister when he spoke about not having enough information from visa on arrival applicants, saying that no applicant who sought visa through that system that was not thoroughly scrutinized by getting all necessary information from him and subjecting him to detailed security checks.
A recently retired senior immigration officer told THISDAY on Wednesday in a telephone interview that visa on arrival, which took off in 2016 under the Mohammadu Buhari’s administration, was a significant milestone in advancing the process of visa issuance within a short time in line with what the rest of the world was doing and also easier but firm way of responding to the request of thousands of foreigners that wanted to come to Nigeria to do business or to visit as tourists.
He also disclosed that before visa on arrival policy was adopted and implemented, a committee made up of officials from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Immigration and Department of State Security (DSS) was set up, which scrutinized the process before accepting it and recommending it to government.
“The decision of the federal government to scrap the visa on arrival policy will set Nigeria backwards by 10 years. Our visa process was one of the most cherished in the world and you now want to throw it out. The committee that subjected the process to scrutiny before it was adopted in 2016, made comparison with other nations and looked at the possible weaknesses, which has to do with security and closed the possible gaps.
“For example, we get all the necessary information from you and subject the information to scrutiny. Mind you, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) receives the suspect index before DSS. The applicant is subjected to the suspect index and when the applicant is cleared, we get no local objection signal before we give you visa. So, using security as excuse for scrapping visa on arrival policy is untenable,” he said.
Also, reacting to the decision of government to scrap the visa on arrival policy, travel expert and the organiser of Akwaaba African Travel Market, Ambassador Ikechi Uko, told THISDAY that there may be forces that tend to set Nigeria backwards each time it makes progress and stressed that it would be extremely difficult for Nigeria to process the visa of over a million applicants, who may want to visit the country during detty December, through the conventional process in the embassies.
According to him, it will be difficult if the country wants to grow tourism and foreign investment; adding that Nigeria does not have embassies in all the country; so, visa on arrival becomes the better option.
Ambassador Uko also stated that anyone that applies for Nigerian visa supplies all necessary information needed by government, disclosing that since 2020, applicants that want visa on arrival fill forms online and supply all necessary information; so, it is not lack of information access that is the reason why government wants to scrap the policy.
“Why there is need for government to reconsider its decision is the fact that in terms of insecurity Nigeria is not under any threat. It is not in war with any country and the security threat is not the worst in the world. Since 2020, applicants have been filling forms online for visa on arrival and after filling the forms they wait until it is processed and those who meet all the conditions are given visa. We are not at war with any country, but Rwanda which is fighting war in three fronts, is still issuing visa on arrival. If a million people seek for visa and have to go through the normal process, it won’t work.
“For a country to attract foreign investors and tourists, it must ease the visa process. There must be easy payment; easy process and easy acceptance or rejection within a very short time. In Kenya, the official time is 72 hours but when you apply for their e-visa you get feedback in 48 hours. Benin is visa free; Ghana is visa on arrival. Why are we scrapping what we ought to improve upon? Nigeria is not the least secure country,” Ambassador Uko said.
He also noted that even the United States is being pressured by the tourism industry to reduce the time it takes to respond to visa request and to also relax the process. This is because the country will host the world cup and other major international games and many people from different parts of the world would need to come to the US.
“There must be a trade-off between relaxing your visa process and allowing more people to come into your country and invest or visit and spend money; or the old process, which will keep investors away because our embassies cannot handle the demand,” he said.