agrimsrud - your point(s) are valid
Keep in mind, the "Officialdom" is somewhat about JOBS.
And the jobs, are for the Belongers,
A good portion of who, work in Government
So... if you make it as simple as "Buy this permit at the Customs window"... The government will obviously get a few extra dollars - But you ruin the opportunity to create a few desk jobs, perhaps a few Field-Inspector jobs, etc - keeping people feeling good about themselves.
The cash is good to Gov't, but that would be spent fast enough anywhere, everywhere... Whereas creating a few jobs, keeps everyone out of trouble, and keeps the pressure on the Nation's treasury - in that they must budget and make payroll
As for the hoops and loops... well... this IS a British territory.....always has been all about "Officialdom" (btw - is that a real word????)
Now - the true fun - would be to see some young local person - take up an entrepreneurial stand - and provide a service to take this nuisance off you hands
With that - everyone would be happy -- and the tourist pays just a little more...
... just my simple 2 cents
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