GST team: message is getting out on new tax

As part of an ongoing public relations campaign, tax officials continue to hold meetings, appear on local talk shows, and answer emails, phone calls, and faxes from the business community on how the new levy will affect profit margins around the country. After a disappointing turnout last week, this morning it was a full house at the second GST forum in the commercial capital. According to customs expert Godfrey Arzu, companies are accessing the important information.

Godfrey Arzu, Customs Expert
?Belize City is encouraging compared to last week. However, when you compare Belize City to Spanish Lookout, Spanish Lookout towers in the sense that we had close to seventy persons in Spanish Lookout. But I guess the interest is different because most of the people in Spanish Lookout are in the productive sector and they wanted to know how the tax will affect their exports and the goods that they produce. Therefore, that might be the reason. However, also we cannot forget that in Belize City, to a large extent, people are involved in merchandizing and this is the Christmas season and as such, that might have kept some people away.?

?I think the time conflicts with a busy season, but I think the message is getting out, people are getting in touch with us. We have calls from Shipyard, from Caye Caulker for us to do presentations, and Spanish Lookout for us to return; so the message is getting out.?

According to Arzu, the GST unit is in the process of posting an internet web page for increased access to the tax information.