More delays in Town Council financial report

Although the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) is yet to provide a financial report, as promised, Mayor Gualberto ‘Wally’ Nuñez says his administration is managing well, and the island’s economy is recovering. The rebound in finances is due to efforts in providing attractive discounts and alternative ways to make payments. According to the Mayor, residents are paying their taxes, adding to revenue collections. Nuñez’s administration is currently offering discounts on property tax. Senior Citizens (65 and older) receive a 15% discount, and early payments also get the same deal through March 2022. Anyone making full payments on arrears will receive a 20% discount through March 2023, when the fiscal year ends.

As the tourism industry continues to see major volumes of visitors as close as pre-COVID-19 statistics, Nuñez says the island’s economy is bouncing back week by week. Many stakeholders working in tourism indicate that they are experiencing a surge in business as more tourists arrive on the island. The recent weekends have been very busy, with the local airlines Maya Island Air and Tropic Air transporting passengers to the island as late as 10PM, particularly on Saturdays. It is projected that the country will continue a higher influx of visitors for the upcoming weeks, with the majority traveling to San Pedro Town. Some supermarkets say their sales have improved and are hopeful that the pandemic could soon be a thing of the past. However, many stakeholders have also stated that while the situation is much better compared to 2020 and last year, not everyone is recovering at the same pace, and a handful of them are still struggling to make ends meet.

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