Anger over George Osborne's air passenger duty increase in the Budget Airlines reacted angrily to the announcement and said it shows the "emptiness of rhetoric on boosting exports to emerging economies." EasyJet, International Airlines Group, parent of British Airways, Ryanair and Virgin Atlantic issued a joint statement following Mr Osborne's announcement. "We are very disappointed that the Government's tax on flying, already the highest in the world, will increase yet again this year and next," the airlines said. These rises in Air Passenger Duty show the emptiness of rhetoric on boosting exports to emerging economies and building the most competitive tax system in the world. Increasing this alarmingly uncompetitive tax on business, trade, and inbound tourism beggars belief when the evidence clearly suggests that abolition would deliver growth, create 60,000 jobs and pay for itself through higher receipts from other taxes. Earlier this year a report by PwC, the consultants, found that scrapping the controversial tax would deliver a 0.45 per cent boost to GDP within 12 months and could generate 60,000 jobs. However, the Treasury has said that increasing the duty will raise £2.9 billion in revenue in 2013-14 and £3 billion in 2014-15. Kurt Janson, of the Tourism Alliance, said: "It is a frustration because tourism is one the growth industries that the Government has identified and put money into at home and abroad. To now increase the barriers to prevent anyone coming here is counter-productive when as a country we are spending money to try and draw people here. Dale Keller, the chief executive of the Board of Airline Representatives in the UK, said the Government has built a "wall of tax" around the country which will stop tourists from coming to Britain. "Just because the industry was fully expecting a slap in the face from the Treasury does not make it any more palatable," Mr Keller said. We have listened to much talk from the Government about the UK being in a global economic race and the importance for the UK to become more competitive. Yet airlines, amongst the most global of businesses, continue to be hammered by the highest aviation tax in the world. The Government has built a veritable wall of tax around the UK which international travellers and airlines are increasingly overflying. The Treasury also confirmed the extension of the duty to private jets from next month, a move it expects will raise £5 million each year from 2013-14.