Border agency answers complaints

Tuesday’s protests on the Guatemalan side of our western border were not the only voices raised in anger over the new twenty-dollar departure tax at Melchor and Santa Elena. People involved in Belize’s tourism industry have long claimed that the tax unfairly discriminates against tourists. Jose Sanchez reports.

Jose Sanchez, Reporting

One of the criticisms brought up by Belize Tourism Industry Association about the border tax is that if tourists are the only people paying the border fee, the effects on the tourism industry could be quite drastic. Evan Tillett, Chairman of the Border Management Agency believes that the tax should be given a chance because it will help to improve the situation at the border frontiers.

Evan Tillett, Chairman, Border Management Agency

“The fact that tourist will be the only one paying for this new border facility and the management of this facility, that’s not true. The tourists come and enjoy our country and they should aid in the development of our country. One way to do that is by levying this departure processing fee. The Belizean populous will end up paying for this facility also and that will be done in phases.”

The stakeholders in the tourism industry, including BTIA, feel that they were not given adequate notice regarding the border tax. They had already sent out tour package rates with set prices to international sales agents well into the year 2002.

Evan Tillett

“In a lot of cases taxes aren’t included…for instance, the departure tax is not included in any packages that these people package. Hopefully the advent of this twenty dollar departure processing fee won’t be a greater negative impact on the industry as perceived.”

Reporting for News 5, I am Jose Sanchez.

For the second morning in a row residents of Melchor were at the border protesting and turning back people trying to enter Guatemala. Tillett told News Five that the fee will not affect Guatemalans who come to Belize and stay less than forty-eight hours. He also insists that the border fee is quite low in comparison to rates of other countries in the region. Mexico, for example, charges tourists a departure fee of sixteen U.S. dollars.