CitCo statement on head tax
Posted: 23/01/2007 - 12:43 PM
Author: - press release -
The Belize City Council and the United Democratic Party met in a joint session yesterday evening to consider the latest Government position on the U.S. $1.00 portion of the head tax that the City Council has been campaigning for.
The Government’s position is clearly what is contained in the press release issued late on Thursday by the Belize Tourism Board.
The Belize City Council and the UDP find that press release insulting and an act of utter bad faith. The City Council had agreed to hold back on the actions it had contemplated for Tuesday of this week after UDP Party Leader Dean Barrow had appealed for restraint and brokered a compromise with the Prime Minister and Tourism Minister Godfrey Smith. Under that compromise, the Belize City Council had agreed to install a Craft and Vendor Market at the Memorial Park, required by the BTB. In return, the BTB schedule of monthly payment of the head tax money to the City Council was to be made current and then continue, as had been previously agreed, through March of 2007. That meant that the arrears of $374,328.00 owed to the City Council by the BTB, pursuant to the schedule, were to be paid immediately.
Now, however, the BTB, speaking for and on behalf of the Government of Belize, has made clear that it is only prepared to make an initial payment towards the arrears of an unspecified amount. Thereafter, the payment of even the balance of the arrears will depend on the whim and fancy of the BTB.
That is totally unacceptable to the Belize City Council and the United Democratic Party.
It is amazing that this government still doesn’t get it. There is overwhelming public support for the City of Belize’s entitlement to the U.S. $1.00 out of the head tax. The cruise tour operators, the National Trade Union Congress of Belize, We the People Movement, and multiple other organizations and individuals have signaled that support. But with its usual arrogance, this PUP administration refuses to answer the public call and do the just and honorable thing.
The Belize City Council, completely supported by the United Democratic Party, rejects the Government/BTB’s latest position, and demands, instead, that the total arrears owed by the Government/BTB be paid immediately. Government must also commit to the remaining agreed payments through March ’07, and to legislate the City Council’s entitlement to its U.S. $1.00 share of the head tax, such a law to take effect no later than April 1, 2007.
If this most reasonable position of the City Council, in strict accord with the overwhelming sentiment of the public, is not immediately met by the Government, all available options will be employed by the Belize City Council and the United Democratic Party. And any repercussions, whether to the cruise sector of the tourism industry or otherwise, will be the direct fault of an intransigent, illegitimate, outlaw People’s United Party administration.
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