Minister Hyde Going after Land Taxes

Cordel Hyde

The Department of Lands will be going after private landowners with exorbitant outstanding tax payments.  According to Minster of Natural Resources Cordel Hyde, approximately four hundred and sixty-four persons or companies own up to eighty-two percent or three point two million acres of land in Belize. And, as Minister Hyde puts it, most of these private landowners refuse to pay off their outstanding debts.  Well today, Minister Hyde placed those private landowners on notice.

Cordel Hyde, Minister of Natural Resources

“Today, these companies owe tens of millions, if not hundreds of millions of dollars. We cannot continue like this any longer Madam Speaker. This cannot be left to stand. Truth is if the wealthy was paying their fair share of taxes, we wouldn’t be here today. If the tax dodgers were paying their fair share, we would not be here today. We must go after these tax delinquents with every vigor in our body, no matter who they are. A minimum condition for anyone owning land is that you pay your taxes, an invariable principle of any market-based economy. If you do not pay, there must be consequences. How difficult is it to understand that idle hands impair the economy and promotes and cements inequality? What if the bank took your money but never lent any money? Wouldn’t the Central Bank passes a directive and revokes that license? But such a huge portion of our lands can be frozen, and these people do not pay any taxes. That must stop. You either pay or we take back your lands.”