BELMOPAN, Fri. June 21, 2019– The House of Representatives met this morning in the National Assembly in a regular session which dealt with a number of important financial bills.
Among the most important financial bills was the Tax Administration Bill, which will amalgamate the Income Tax Department and the General Sales Tax Department into one tax-collecting unit. This bill was read a second time along with the Customs and Excise Duties (Amendment) Bill.
An Amendment to the University of Belize Act was introduced. This bill will increase the compulsory retirement age.
The government also introduced a motion for the Inter-American Development Bank Multi-lateral Investment Fund, which will authorize Belize to pay one million dollars US as its contribution. This motion was introduced by Prime Minister Dean Barrow in his capacity as Minister of Finance.
Other non-financial bills were also introduced and these include an Amendment to the Court of Appeal Act, having to do with expedited appeals; an authorization of municipal papers for the Belize City Council, and an interest fund.
With respect to the Tax Administration Bill, the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. John Briceno, told the House that the Opposition was not objecting to the amalgamation of the Income Tax and General Sales Tax Departments.
Hon. Briceno said that when he looked at other countries which had done a similar thing, there has been a dramatic increase in taxes collected.
Hon. Briceno, however, said that there has been some expressions of concern from some members of the two departments, who were told that they could apply for early retirement or try to stay in the same department or apply for another post in another department.
The government is attempting to purge out persons from these two departments who they feel do not support them, Briceno said.
Even before the Bill is considered, Briceno said, the government has already considered the appointment of a director, and that person is Mrs. Michelle Longsworth, the wife of the former Albert area representative.
PM Barrow, in response to Hon. Briceno’s presentation, said that at least he was good enough to recognize the amalgamation and the service that it entails. “At least I understand him to be supporting the initiative, but to suggest that the exercise will be used by the government to punish enemies and reward friends, the Leader of the Opposition offered no evidence for his assertion,” he said.
The PM also said that nobody is obliging anything on any member of the two departments. The staff has the option of staying in the department without any loss of remuneration and with the professional advancement trajectory remaining at the same level at which the person currently is.