Foreigners to pay more departure tax from Belize
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| Published on Thursday, October 9, 2008 |
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By Oscar Ramjeet
Caribbean Net News Special Correspondent
Email: oscar@caribbeannetnews.com
BELIZE CITY, Belize: Foreigners leaving Belize will have to pay three dollars more departure tax at border points and at the airport.
News 5 reported that the increase was imposed in a move to realise funds to pay a $2.6 million judgment, interest and court costs in favour of NEWCO.
In June, international arbitrators sided with the company and against the Government of Belize (GOB), for wrongfully terminating a thirty-year airport management contract for the Philip Goldson International Airport (PGIA). In 2005, three years after the agreement was made, the Musa administration cancelled the contract and awarded a similar agreement to the Belize Airport Concession Company (BACC).
News 5 reported that when the news of the judgment was delivered, Prime Minister Dean Barrow said that he would ask BACC to contribute to the payments. According to the CEO of the Department of Tourism, Michael Singh, the government did approach the concession company and the parties worked out an agreement that the BACC would provide lump sum payments to help cover the judgment and costs and that it would get the funds back in the long run through the departure tax increase.
Two of the three dollar hike will go to the BACC, while the Belize Airport Authority will get the other dollar for airport improvement.
According to Singh the intention is to reduce the tax back to its original figure once the fine has been paid off, but he said that it would depend on the state of the market at the time.
The airport tax including the increase is now $35.50 plus a fee of $3.75 for PACT totaling $39.25.
The increase is only applicable to foreigners. | | | | Reads : 848 | | | |
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