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BUDGET 2010: Sales Tax Going Up 25%!

[Linked Image] The General Sales Tax is going up to 12.5% - that's a 25% increase from where it stood at 10%. That's the principal revenue measure being introduced by government to cover a $61 million financing deficit in the new budget. The sales tax increase will provide an additional $42 million in tax revenue and being a consumption tax, that $40 million will be paid by you. Its part of a package of tax measures that the Prime Minister introduced as the centerpiece of a budget called "RECOVERY TODAY, PROSPERITY TOMORROW."

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister

"We need to take the very difficult but unavoidable actions necessary to close the gap. Accordingly we will, these are the new tax measures: increase the business tax for supply of electricity services from 1.75% to 6.5%. This is only for the supplies of electricity and this is projected to yield an additional $10 million.

Second Mr. Speaker we will impose an excise tax on locally produced crude oil at a rate of $1 per barrel, projected to yield $1.8 million per annum. This is to provide additional revenue to government and is done especially to increase road maintenance on the Western and Hummingbird Highways necessitated by the transport of the crude oil to the port in Big Creek.

Finally, Mr. Speaker we have to increase the rate of the General Sales Tax from 10% to 12.5%. This will yield $42 million. We have had no choice in this matter. But even as we raise the GST, we are mindful of our promise to protect the poor and the local income earners. Therefore we are also proposing a slew of tax relief measures, designed to insolate the most vulnerable. The GST is a consumption tax and so we want to do two things: the first is to ensure that the absolutely essential items and in particular food stuff will actually see a drop in prices notwithstanding the generalized GST increase. In other words, basic ingredients for the average Belizean family's everyday meals should now see a price drop after this budget.

Second, we want to increase the purchasing power of the fixed income people who are at the margins. Accordingly, starting with this latter point first, we are increasing the basic income tax deduction for employed individuals earning less than $24,000 per annum. This in effect would mean that all employed individuals earning less than $24,000 per annum will be exempt for tax while those individuals earning more than $24,000 will continue to be eligible for the current basic deduction of $19,600. Furthermore this change will take place retroactively to the tax basis year commencing 1st January 2010. So under this UDP Government no person with a salary of $500 per week or less will ever again have to pay a single penny in income tax.

Then Mr. Speaker we come to the removal of import duties. We are doing this on a wide range of food items, powder laundry detergents, agricultural equipment and machinery including tractor parts, agricultural packaging materials, and basic school supplies. I say again Mr. Speaker that we are trying to reach a point where import duties will be eliminated all together, save and except only in areas necessary for the protection of local industries."


There will also be a 3.5% tax introduced on export processing zones and government will try and collect tax arrears particularly from large landholders. But combined those are only projected to deliver about $8 million of a $62 million net increase in tax revenue. At $42 million in increased proceeds, there's no mistaking that the general sales tax will provide the majority of the additional revenue to bridge the financing gap.

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=16462


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Budget's performance for 2009 to 2010 was poor

[Linked Image] Picture1There's a packed newscast tonight and we start with the budget presentation in the House today. The fiscal year closes at the end of March and the budget's performance for 2009 to 2010 was poor, and don't hold your breath because the coming year promises to bring new and additional taxes. In the current financial year, the projected decline in recurrent revenues fell by ten point three percent below the approved budget. Approved estimates for total revenues and grants were eight hundred and seven point three million dollars but the projected outturn is seven hundred and eighteen million point two dollars. That's almost a hundred million dollars short in expected revenues. For the fiscal year which ended March thirty-first 2010, the government initially projected a primary surplus equal to zero point eight percent of GDG and an overall deficit equivalent to two point eight percent of G.D.P. But the major indicators of fiscal performance are projected one percentage point lower than the budgeted estimates. Prime Minister Barrow blamed it on the global recession.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow


"The impact of the recession was very much pronounced on government's revenue collections. Total revenue is projected at $678.8 million or 10.3% below budget as both recurrent revenue and capital revenue underperformed. The projected decline in recurrent revenue to $674.6 million is 10.2% below the approved budget and is attributable to shortfalls in both tax revenue and non-tax revenue. On the other hand, the projected total inflow of $45.0 million from the local petroleum sector, as made up of royalties, income tax, working interest, production sharing, surface rental and environmental monitoring fees, has been a boon."

"In the context of the limited resources available to us and based on the information gathered from the two previous years' budget consultation processes, we will continue to emphasize education, health and physical infrastructure. We believe the progress already made in all three areas is undeniable, and of that we are immensely proud. Added to this priority list, will now be a heightened emphasis on domestic security and the maintenance of Law and Order."


http://edition.channel5belize.com/?p=29597


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OPPOSITION UNIMPRESSED WITH BUDGET OFFERINGS
March 15, 2010


The Opposition remains unimpressed with the latest offering from the Government. Mark Espat is the PUP Deputy Party Leader.

Mark Espat; Deputy Party Leader, PUP

"Let me deal first with the outturn of the 2009/2010 budget. It is much worse that we have been led to believe; in fact, the overall deficit jumped from $52 million to more than $70 million so that is a 40% jump in the overall deficit. Overall revenues were down 10%. Most disappointing of all is that the capital investments; the investments in new school buildings, in roads, clinics and so on that the Prime Minister promised last year fell short of being implemented by $45 million. One in four dollars that the prime minister promised would have been invested in the government over the last twelve months has not been invested. Now, when you look at what is being proposed for 2010/2011 the picture gets worse and as I said to one of my colleagues this is the equivalent of drawing blood from a patient that is already on the operating theatre. This is taking the battery out of a car whose wheels are punctured. The prime minister is proposing no less than $62 million in new taxes, $42 million alone with the increase in the general sales tax. On the other hand he is suggesting that he is providing some relief but that relief pales in comparison with this $62 million. I believe he himself quantified the relief at the bottom line at just $10 million. When you look at the budget in terms of revenue from this year to last year to this year he is projecting an additional $110 million in increase recurring revenue. I feel that it is a game of smoke and mirrors; I don't believe the figures are realistic and so I believe this will be another significant blow to the confidence of the business community and to the hopes of Belizeans, especially those who those who were hoping that this national budget would lead us to the point where the government would be delivering on the many pledges that they made as part of their campaign two years ago. This is the third strike for the government. They have had two budgets before in 2008 and 2009 and so this is strike three. This is the third disappointing budget of this UDP administration."

Espat said while there were areas in the budget that were bright spots, it left a lot to be desired.

Mark Espat

"I think that when the prime minister deals with the abstract when he deals with what the pillars of the economy should be; certainly, he touches what the important issues are, for example; he expressed his concern at the crime and violence situation, he spoke about the need to target health and education. Those are the things we can all agree are priorities but you have got to put your money where your mouth is and the prime minister faces a surplus of words and a deficit of goods and services. Under one hand he grand stands but when you look at the beef; there is no beef there, there is a sandwich without any meat. I think that is what the social partners, the unions and Belizeans in general and the business community will see as they open the budget book and they look at the details; the figures just do not match the rhetoric."

During today's sitting there was the usual verbal put downs. Espat said it is unfortunate that our leaders cannot rise above this behaviour to discuss the issues.

Mark Espat

"When the Prime Minister hurled insults from his side of the house; when he calls members fools, when he refers, as he did today, to an elected member of the parliament of our country, of the House of Representatives as a jackass that really depreciates the entire exercise. It belittles the House of Representatives and I believe it is a blight on his office and I would hope in the coming weeks, especially as we go into the debate two weeks from now, that we can focus on what the issues are. We can argue about the figures, we can argue about the intentions but why do we have to be personal? Why do we have to stoop to the outer sloops of politics and hurl personal insults at one another? I believe it is most unbecoming on the Office of the Prime Minister or for that matter of any member to stoop to that. I really would encourage members and of course the speaker to enforce order. The standing orders are clear, that kind of language should not be tolerated in the house. That behaviour does not provide any answers to the critical issues of jobs, and housing and growing the economy. Those are the things that people care about."

The budget will be debated on Thursday March 24 and Friday March 25.

http://www.lovefm.com/ndisplay.php?nid=11680


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Gee whiz.....didn't the BTB just come out with figures saying that the hotel revenue wasn't down from last year? Hmmm


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2010-2011 budget - more taxes, more pain
Posted: 16/03/2010 - 03:09 PM
Author: Adele Ramos - [email protected]


Consumers will directly shoulder roughly 70% of the tax measures that the Government says have been engineered to plug the hole in the new national budget. The unofficial reports of a suite of tax hike measures - the second consecutive tax hike for the Dean Barrow administration since it came to power in 2008 - were confirmed Monday morning, March 15, when Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dean Barrow tabled his third budget for 2010/2011 at a meeting of the House of Representatives in Belmopan.

Barrow announced that he intends to close the $61 million hole in this new budget - incidentally the same $60 million as was projected in last year's budget - mainly with an increase in the General Sales Tax (GST) rate from 10% to 12.5% effective April 1, 2010, which alone is expected to raise an additional $42 million from consumers.

This is the same level of tax increase that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had recommended to Belize last year.

The GST hike drives the growth of tax burden up by roughly 50% since the 2005/2006 budget year, five years ago, when tax receipts were estimated at $473 million as compared to $703 million in the new budget.

Barrow claims that the effects on the poor will be buffered with some key tax relief measures: the removal of import duties and GST from certain cooking oils, hot dog sausages, luncheon meat, potted meat, macaroni and cheese dinner, hot chocolate, cocoa, coffee, breakfast cereals, vitamins and supplements, yeast, powdered detergents, school bags, banana cable ways (for agriculture industry), irrigation pipes of plastic, tractor parts, refrigerators, washing machines, and stoves. He also proposed the removal of import duties on carton boxes, egg boxes and trays, rice for sowing, banana plants and dialysis fluids. He also said that all persons earning less than $500 a week, or under $24,000 will not pay income tax, and the ceiling for GST exemption on light bills would be raised from $150 to $200.

Last year, the Barrow administration implemented a $1 flat tax on fuel at the pumps, singularly raising $30 million, which was to go halfway to help close a $60 million financing gap.

When we had questioned Prime Minister Barrow about the IMF tax recommendation back in May 2009, he told us, "not in the current climate... How can we raise tax at a time like this? ...The IMF doesn't get it."

At the time, Barrow was candid in saying, "We don't want to reject it out of hand."

That confirmation came today, while Barrow presented his $876 million spending plan, to be financed with $700 million in tax receipts, $127 million in financing, $80.7 million in non-tax revenue, and $22.5 million in grants. The budget also makes provision for $63 million in amortization of Government's debt, which stands at just under $2 billion.

In 2006, the Sales Tax was hiked under the Musa administration amid fierce public protests and objections, and implemented on July 1, 2006, at a rate of 10%. GST replaced the 9% Sales Tax which started out in April 1999 at a rate of 8%, after the People's United Party abolished the United Democratic Party's 15% Value Added Tax.

The quiet over the tax increase comes against the backdrop of Mr. Barrow's admonition at his February 11 press conference that, "The upcoming fiscal year is going to be the hardest of the UDP term. ...This is going to be an extremely difficult year, and we are going to have to ask people to make sacrifices."

Barrow also tabled an amendment to the Income and Business Tax Act which would enable an increase in the business tax rate for the supply of electricity services from 1.75% to 6.5% to raise $10 million.

At the same time, he projects, "...a marked increase in electricity generation as the Vaca Dam facility and the BELCOGEN facility come fully on line."

"This tax is based on the profitability and the perceived ability to pay," said Barrow. "It is still far less than such suppliers would be paying if they were under an Income Tax on Profits regime, since we note, according to the PUC, profits in the sector continue to be bountiful."

The third measure is a flat excise tax on crude oil, $1.00 per barrel for locally-produced crude. According to Barrow, this is projected to raise $1.8 million for the budget year.

"This is to provide additional revenue to Government in view of the increased road maintenance on the Western and Hummingbird Highways necessitated by the transport of the crude oil to the port at Big Creek," said Barrow. "I repeat what I said earlier about the need not to destabilize the nascent petroleum industry; but at a time like this, the sole producer cannot be boasting abroad of how well it is doing without being prepared to give a little more to the country and society that have enabled its bonanza."

Barrow is also introducing a social fee of 5% on the value of all goods and services imported into an Export Processing Zone, for another $3.5 million to help stop the hole in his budget.

"It is felt that a small fee to offset the duty free status of the EPZs would not threaten their operations or their international competitiveness," Barrow indicated.

Together the new measures are projected to raise $57.3 million, still short of the $61 million the Government claims it needs to raise.

Finally, Barrow said that his administration will press to collect roughly $4.2 million in outstanding arrears, for "still outstanding taxes never paid by the previous owners of BTL..." and from big landowners who have not been paying their taxes.

The Sitting of the House was adjourned at 2:18 p.m., and is slated to convene again for the budget debate Thursday, March 25, 2010.

Along with the new tax measures, Barrow is also proposing the removal of import duties and GST from certain products, mentioned above.

He also noted that, "Government continued borrowing, under concessional terms, from its multilateral and bilateral partners, and sizeable inflows to the Central Bank from the IMF contributed to the increase in gross official reserves by $104.1 million to $427.4mn, the equivalent of 4.3 months of merchandise imports. These inflows were - I hasten to make clear - for balance of payments support and came without [IMF] conditionalities."

The Opposition People's United Party (PUP) will have its chance to respond fully to Barrow's budget presentation when it is debated on Thursday, March 25.

However, Opposition Leader Johnny Brice�o said at Monday's sitting, during the debate on a package of reforms for the financial industry, that Prime Minister Barrow was also making those legislative changes to tap into further funding to prop up his budget.

(We intend to have more on the budget presentation in the weekend edition of the newspaper.)

http://www.amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=9635


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PM Barrow defends fuel price increases
Written by Administrator
Wednesday, 17 March 2010


This is the second year in which the Barrow Administration finds itself staring into a financial hole. In the 2009/2010 fiscal year, the budget was also struggling with a $30m dollar deficit, and to make up for it, the Prime Minister imposed a $1 flat tax on petroleum which he said would increase fuel prices, but keep it at a minimal cost - under $7. Of course we all know the full story about that lie, because fuel prices surged past $7 a long time ago. Our last check at the pumps shows that fuel prices in Orange Walk are now $9.32 a gallon for Premium, $9.10 for Regular, and $8.05 for Diesel.

Among the many promises yet to be fulfilled by the Barrow Administration, its broken promise to keep fuel at a minimal cost is perhaps the most recurrent, because since making the pledge an year ago, fuel prices have spiked at least five times. At yesterday's House sitting, Prime Minister Barrow explained why he refused to lower fuel prices, and according to him it's because his administration has failed to collect sufficient taxes.

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister

"While direct taxes tend to be more resilient in the face of economic downturn, the indirect taxes were especially severely hit hence the taxes on income and profits are expected to decline by 1.5% to $207.3 million. Taxes on property are projected at 4.1 million or 47.3% below budget. The taxes of goods and services are projected at $217.5 million or 16.8% below budget. And the single largest contributor to this under performance is the expected decline of 19.3% in general sales tax. Taxes on international trade and transactions are projected at $166 million or 12.9% below budget primarily to a 10.7% fall in import duties. This decrease in import duties was ameliorated by the additional collection of $30 million from the increase in the import duty on fuel imports that the house approved last year. People will understand now why I was not able to take down that $1 at any time during that fiscal year."

http://www.ctv3belizenews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4393&Itemid=1


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Why GOB won't tax away the rich oil company
Written by Administrator
Wednesday, 17 March 2010


As mentioned earlier, the Barrow Administration will impose an excise tax of $1 per barrel on oil producer Belize Natural Energy. While it's a new GOB measure to extract more from the oil company's large profits, many are saying that it is still a mere slap on the wrist for the booming private entity which has seen earnings of $652.2 million over four years. In fact, the new nominal tax on BNE came as a surprise to many because the Prime Minister has refused to get more from the oil revenues. At yesterday's House meeting, he defended his guarding of the oil sector once more.

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister

"The projected total inflow of $45 million from the local petroleum sector has made up of royalties, income tax, working interest, production sharing, surface rental and environmental monitoring fees have been a boom. It underscores the point I never tire or making, we must manage this sector in such a way as not to scare off those that are seeking to find more oil, lack of certainty, arbitrary, huge unilateral increases in the tax regime, threats of nationalization will do just that."

While the Prime Minister cautioned against huge taxes for BNE, he did announce a 265% increase in business tax for Belize Electricity Limited, and while he warned against threats of nationalisation, it must be noted that he promised a "national oil company" as part of his pre-election campaign, and it is under his instructions that the forced nationalisation of Belize Telemedia Limited took place last year.

http://www.ctv3belizenews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4392&Itemid=1


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2010 Budget had More Taxes in Store
BUDGET 2010: Sales Tax Going Up 25%! Increase on Electricity tax!


The fiscal year closes at the end of March and the budget's performance for 2009 to 2010 was poor, and the coming year promises to bring new and additional taxes. Prime Minister Dean Barrow presented the Budget on Monday, March 15 and called it "Recovery Today, Prosperity Tomorrow".

Hardest hit is an almost 5% business tax imposed on electricity, meaning B.E.L., which soon afterwards caused a blackout, and a 2.5% increase in sales tax, which means that coupled with the 2% environmental tax, consumers would now be spending 14.5% in taxes at the stores.

The Barrow administration expects GDP (Gross Domestic Product) to grow by 1.5% over the fiscal year. So how will the Barrow administration fill the 61million dollar hole in the budget? �By increasing taxes of course! According to Barrow, if the gap in the budget wasn't closed through taxes, the overall deficit would have increased to -4.2% of GDP. And which taxes are expected to increase? Everything from your electricity bill to General Sales Tax, even the Export Processing Zones will suffer from increased taxation.

The new tax measures are:

* Increase Business Tax for the supply of Electricity Services from 1.75% to 6.5%. This is only for the suppliers of electricity and this is projected to yield an additional 10 million dollars. This tax or this increase in their business tax is based on the profitability and the perceived ability to pay. It is still far less than such suppliers would be paying if they were under an Income Tax on Profits regime, since according to the PUC, that profits in the sector continue to be bountiful.

* Excise Tax on Locally Produced Crude Oil at a rate of $1.00 per barrel - projected to yield $1.8 million per annum. This is to provide additional revenue to government and is done especially in view of the increased road maintenance on the Western and Hummingbird Highways necessitated by the transport of the crude oil to the port at Big Creek.

* Levy a Social Fee at a rate of 5% on the value of all Goods and Services imported into Export Processing Zones. This should yield a further $3.5 million. It is felt that a small fee to offset the duty free status of the EPZs would not threaten their operations or their international competitiveness.

* Press the collection of Outstanding Tax Arrears and this is expected to yield $4.2 million. One is some still outstanding taxes never paid by the previous owners of B.T.L.-news owners of Speednet. The other has to do with land - The idea now is still only to collect at the old, easier rates but to use all available processes to collect at those rates.

* Increase the rate of the General Sales Tax from 10.0% to 12.5 %. This will yield $42.0 million. "We have had no choice in this matter," comment Pm Barrow. "But even as we raise the GST, we are mindful of our promise to protect the poor and the local income earners. Therefore we are also proposing a slew of tax relief measures, designed to insulate the most vulnerable. The GST is a consumption tax and so we want to do two things: the first is to ensure that the absolutely essential items and in particular food stuff will actually see a drop in prices notwithstanding the generalized GST increase. In other words, basic ingredients for the average Belizean family's everyday meals should now see a price drop after this budget."

* The removal of import duties on a wide range of food items, powder laundry detergents, agricultural equipment and machinery including tractor parts, agricultural packaging materials, and basic school supplies.

At $42 million in increased proceeds, there's no mistaking that the general sales tax will provide the majority of the additional revenue to bridge the financing gap. (News Source: Channel 5 and News 7)

http://www.ambergristoday.com/html/archives.php?p=031810#_st4


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COLA Asks GOB for 90 Day Hold on Tax Increase

[Linked Image] The 2010-2011 Budget will be debated in the House of Representatives tomorrow and Friday, after which it will be passed and signed into law in time for April 1st. A major feature of the budget is the 25% increase in the rate of General Sales Tax from 10% to 12.5%. But not so fast says COLA - the Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action. They are holding a public meeting at this hour at the Constitution Park to discuss alternatives to the tax increase. COLA's President Moses Sulph says they are asking government to delay implementation of the tax increase for 90 days.

Moses Sulph, COLA President

"Realistically, one hundred percent COLA believes that government can hold that back for now because as we said before, there are other places where we can direct the government if they are serious about getting their tax. We know that the government needs the tax because it takes tax to run the country and to bridge the gap that we are facing but we're saying there are other places from which this revenue can be collected and realistically the government can give 60 to 90 more days. We are not saying it is going to take the entire 90 days but they can give at least 60 days before they implement this tax. Yes they can."

Keith Swift,
"Who should come to tonight's meeting?"

Moses Sulph,
"We are urging all Belizeans to come out. It is not an issue that is affecting any different sector of society. The tax implementation with regards to the GST will bring more burden to the consumers, to the mothers, to the fathers, to members of the unions, to members of all of society so everybody needs to come out."

Tonight's meeting was scheduled to start at 6 at the Constitution Park.

http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=16545


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Leader of the Opposition rejects 25% increase in the GST

[Linked Image] The increase in GST was the term most referred to in today's debate of the budget for 2010/2011. The budget was presented to the House on March fifteenth and the Prime Minister announced that the deficit would fall short of sixty-four million and that he hoped to raise sixty-one point five in new taxes measures to fill the gap. First was the Leader of the Opposition, John Brice�o, to give his presentation. And like the others sitting on his side of the House, there was a resounding rejection for the twenty-five percent increase in the GST to come into effect on April first. The Government hopes to raise forty-one million through this tax, and the opposition says there was a lack of consultation to the estimates which would bring more pain to the Belizeans.

John Brice�o, Leader of Opposition


"Of course we in Opposition know full well why there was no consultation by this administration. After failing once again to bring down the cost of living, after failing to keep our cities and towns clean, after failing to grasp control of the crime situation, after failing to deliver on their promise of cheaper utilities, this government could not face suffering Belizeans. They knew only too well that this time the people would not accept the same lame excuses and they know that two floods and volatility in the price of oil is no consolation for the people's pain. And so on behalf of the quiet masses, I say that the People's United Party unequivocally rejects the proposal by the Government for a twenty-five percent increase in GST. We reject any call for the introduction of any new tax which will result in added and undue hardships on the Belizean people. This is what I would do if we were the government, instead of quarrelling with the productive sector, I would work with them. Instead of quarrelling with the utility companies I would encourage them to find ways to work with us, to ease the burdens on those in the productive sector and the poor. We would be looking for new markets to sell our tourism product instead of creating division by making inappropriate racial comments. And we would go as far as we need to go to ease the burdens on the poor. While we have nothing against the importers of Dak pork luncheon meat, we have to note that this is a product that is high in salt and carries three kinds of sodium: sodium triphosphate, sodium ascorbate and sodium nitrite. This product also carries starch. Armor Potted meat contains six hundred and twenty milligrams of sodium, 9 grams of fat of which two point five grams is saturated fat and twenty percent of this is cholesterol. And if you don't believe me Mr. Speaker, I have it right here so whenever they are ready I could give it to them so that they could check that what we are saying is the truth. It's listed right here."

Emil Arguelles, Speaker of the House

"Members of the gallery, I will ask you to preserve silence."

John Brice�o

"When you consider these products in the context of healthy living, whatever Belizeans gain today from the removal of duty and GST from these products could very well be lost tomorrow when we continue to have more of our children and young people diagnosed with diabetes and hypertension. The very ingredients I mentioned earlier add to these kinds of complications and while we are getting relief to buy these products that are making us sick, the cost of the very medicines we use to help Belizeans suffering from diabetes and hypertension will see no relief from GST. In fact, these very products will see a rise by twenty-five percent. We have to stop looking at things in isolation and see them all as a part of a bigger picture. We cannot be banging the table in approval for ten million dollars in relief when at the same time we are sucking one hundred and ten million dollars from the poor. The Prime Minister, in his budget is promising recovery now and prosperity tomorrow. For a people already, battered, broken and bruised, tomorrow's prosperity is just too late."

http://edition.channel5belize.com/?p=30199


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