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Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline
Hi folks --


An alternative solution. Get a broker and pay the duty. The country of
Belize needs an income just as badly as the Cayes need a donation. Probably
more so.


I actually have a hard time accepting why duty should be suspended --
allowing a flow of merchandize to the Cayes -- while all the rest of us
have to pay a duty fee??


On building materials as example -- the insurance will be paying for
replacement at local prices -- not duty free prices. Tell me -- who is
going to pocket the difference?? and why should they??


This is beginning to smell to high heaven to me!!


Why is everyone so interested in cheating the people of Belize?? Who do you
think will be paying for Bureaucrats salaries -- and with what income -- if
duty is not charged.


Think folks -- why are you out to screw us over so badly??


Hurricane Keith did not wash the highly bloated GOB bureaucracy out to sea
-- it is still here -- and it still demands feeding!!


And what about all the local merchants that will be getting stuck with
merchandize that is priced to high because they have to pay the duty!! For
how many will this be the straw that breaks their backs. Have you people no
"heart"???


Think about this!!


The road to hell is supposedly paved with the souls of do-gooders -- the
longer I live the more I see this is all to true!!


Better you stick those donations up where the sun don't shine -- who need
this crap!! Let us stand or fall 00 according to each our own abilities.
Let the "fat" get trimmed one time!!


Peter Singfield -- Xaibe Village

A
Anonymous
Anonymous
A
Do you think duty should be paid on hurricane lights, generators, food, medical supplies, power tools needed for rebuild. How are we going to get up and running in time for the season without these items. I for one am bringig in items needed right away
at a total air freight cost of over $400 US (this is for the 3 extra boxes that are oversized and over standard weight) I am bringing filled with such items. Some of the items are used and donated for the cause. Insurance policies have big deductables. Property owners are not getting "free" money.
I agree that materials for rebuild could have duty applied but blankets, flashlights, tools to help rebuild quickly? It is crazy that duty should have to paid on "relief items"

Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 713
S
Offline
S
Peter, your statements demonstrate a lack of understanding of what life is like for ordinary people on the cayes (or for that matter, anywhere in Belize). Many of the statements you make that do not make economic sense and are not factually supportable:
For one thing, you are ASSUMING that the losses that people suffered are covered by insurance. That is an erroneous assumption for the following reasons:
1. Many people who own small homes do not have homeowners' insurance at all. The poorer someone is, the less likely they are to carry insurance. When you are living at a paycheck to paycheck level, insurance is considered a "luxury;" food and medicine and the phone bill, and the electric bill, and school fees for your children take precedence. Many of these people are running little businesses out of their homes.
2. Many people who have small businesses do not have insurance. For example: While the big dive operations undoubtedly insure their boat, many of the boat operators on Ambergris Caye (and presumably, also on Caye Caulker,) are young men with growing families who after many years of working for others, were able to purchase their own boats. I know this for a fact, since I know some of these young men personally. Many of these people do not carry insurance on their boats. Perhaps you are unaware that most homeowners and business owners policies carry a 10% deductible. As another example, I doubt if many of the women who have food stands on Barrier Reef Drive have business insurance to cover their equipment. While replacing this equipment might seem insigificant to you, I can assure you it is not nsignificant to them. Many women supplement their families' income by cooking food at home and selling it around town; a substantial portion of these women live on the lagoon side and suffered the most severe property damage. They have no electricity; many of them no longer have a home at all. How can they continue to cook?
Many small grocery type operators (fruit stands, etc.) are likely to be uninsured.
Thus, for many people, the supplies and equipment that you believe should be subject to customs duty, are vitally necessary for their everyday lives.
As to "cheating the government of Belize," you are assuming that the GOB was COUNTING on a hurricane, massive losses, relief donations, and rebuilding and refurnishing supplies to be taxed for import duties as a way of funding the country's budget; and that not imposing such taxes will deprive the GOB of funds they were counting on. Please take a moment to think about that assumption. It is plainly ridiculous. In fact, the GOB would receive a WINDFALL if all these items were subject to duty -- a WINDFALL at the direct expense of those least able to bear the cost.
I don't know anything about you, and will attempt to resist the impulse to speculate on why you appear to harbor such resentment, perhaps even hate, towards so many categories of people. You might consider developing a bit more empathy and putting yourself in the shoes of those who are hungry, have no place to sleep, wet, no services, no medicine, no diapers, no refrigeration and NO MONEY, and question the morality of delaying relief to them unless a tax is first paid. You are lucky indeed not to be in their shoes. But perhaps, you might not be so lucky next time.
But I will tell you that the manner in which you present your arguments is, to put it charitably.....ineffective.


Susan Guberman-Garcia, Attorney at Law. Phone: 510-792-2639
Fax/Voicemail:: 510-405-2016 Email: [email protected]
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline
My funny story of the day:


Many people here in Belize are confused with that $200 million dollar
figure. Honest to God!! They believe that is being "donated" to us by the
USA for hurricane relief!!


They really have to stop watching so much cable TV.


Peter

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 7
K
Offline
K
Peter has a point in that we are trying to send shipments to the Cayes instead of sending disaster relief supplies that would be available to ALL Belizeans. Through the various Belizean and international aid groups, assessments have been made and the supplies would be disbursed according to those assessments. (See the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Relief Agency web site cders.org which includes NEMO.)

Peter may just be someone in need who doesn't see his share headed his way.

Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline
.

Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
OP Offline
.

Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 197
J
Offline
J
^

A
Anonymous
Anonymous
A
i can see that a lot of you with the best intentions in the world do not know how it works in Belize. You need to donate these goods to the Belize government so that they can pass them on to their political cronies to be passed out to the right people! Friends of whoever is in government at this time. I am sure that if you donate to the GOB they will accept your relief. If you have a specific individual or business on the island you intend these relief supplies for then you should pay the duty and carry them to the individuals you desire to donate to. A lot of people in Belize do not pay income tax and by using duties the GOB gets its income tax. Your best bet is to send money to the people you would like to help. Wire it through Western Union and let them buy what they need as it becomes available! Good luck all!

Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 197
J
Offline
J
Belize Mama...what a wonderful idea! Does that really work? I have to admit, that as I was taking my plastic out and sending the info over the web....well, I had reall misgivings. But if it is possible to actually wire transfer funds.to particular people...let's get a list going ti bypass the beaurecrats! Just a thought from another land-locked American.

P>S>....If someone could give me four or five names with an address...I could send each one $25-50 dollars....that could add up if it really got to them! Go Belize Mama!

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