Opposition Finance spokesman Grant Gibbons called on the Government to take a step towards its pre-election promise of duty free shopping by giving tourists discounts at the till.

He said Barbados gave a duty rebate to shoppers if they could prove they were visitors -- but to avoid bureaucracy and hold-ups at the airports he suggested Bermudian retailers sort out the discounts themselves at the point of purchase.

The suggestion came during a debate on customs duties where rates on cut flowers were slashed to 22.5 percent giving the industry a $140,000 break.

But Finance Minister Eugene Cox was dubbed the Polyester minister by Dr.

Gibbons after he increased duties on clothes made from natural fibre to ten percent.

Duties on man-made fibre clothing was dropped to the ten percent mark from 22.5 percent - providing a duty relief of $920,000.

Dr. Gibbons said: "If you take the concession on clothing and flowers you come up with $1.1 million but balanced against tobacco which is raised by $1.1. million it's no skin of the minister's back.

And he attacked the hike in duties on natural fibre clothes, saying: "What has happened is a lot of retailers depend on natural fibre items.

"But duty has gone up four times. These are quality items - their bread and butter.

"In order to stay competitive when there's an increase in price there are going to eat it. It will further impact on their profit margins.

"They will be in more trouble than they were before. It's not the appropriate message in terms of tourism.