Mayor says Belmopan plays hard pay on head tax
It provided major media drama back in January when the Belize City Council successfully agitated for government to hand over one U.S. dollar from each cruise passenger’s head tax to defray wear and tear on the city’s infrastructure and services. When government capitulated we thought the matter had been settled, but today Mayor Zenaida Moya is saying that Belmopan has not lived up to its commitments.
Zenaida Moya, Mayor, Belize City
“We will really have to, you know, look at the different works that we had planned and if the funds aren’t forthcoming some of those works you know we may have to scale back on.”
Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
Belize City Mayor Zenaida Moya says she strongly believes that the Government of Belize has deliberately chosen not honour its commitment by failing to pay the head tax money owed for the months of April and May.
Zenaida Moya
“All we want though is for that level, level of commitment from central government that if they promise something, they deliver.”
This record shows that since February 16th, the Belize City Council has received a total of three payments in the amounts of one hundred ninety thousand, eight hundred and ninety-two dollars; one hundred and seventy thousand, one hundred and seventy dollars; and one hundred and eighty-eight thousand eight hundred and fifty dollars and twenty-eight cents. The payments were for the months of January, February, and March.
Zenaida Moya
“Even in their propaganda they will say they give these monies, but then I am telling you that we have not received any monies for the month of April. We have not received any money for the month of May, and June is right upon us, so what are we to expect.”
Belize City Council uses the tourism head tax revenue to maintain and repair streets.
Zenaida Moya
“Local government says they haven’t received the money from Finance, Finance is not giving anything definite, and I must say that is not professional because we know that tourists have been coming into the city. We know that, cruise tourism has not stopped. So we see the cruise tourists coming in and we know that they have to ensure that they are paying these monies, so why are we not receiving our portion?”
“I must say that this council feels that it is very deliberate because what else can we say when the cruise ship passengers have been arriving, what else?”
News Five tried to solve the mystery by calling Financial Secretary Joe Waight. We were told, however, that Waight was in a meeting, but that the message would be passed on and our phone would be call returned. Up to news time we were still waiting for a reply.
Zenaida Moya
“I am telling you that the council needs the money. You know I will not sit here and say, oh we are doing so well that we don’t need. We need the money and so we have been very diligent, very consistent in ensuring we follow up and we try to get the monies.”
Moya says if they do not receive payments for the months of April and May, the Belize City Council will meet to decide what will be their next course of action.
Zenaida Moya
“Whilst they think that they will be hurting you know this U.D.P. City Council, they will really be hurting the residents of Belize City. As Mayor of Belize City I know that is unfair and that good governance dictates that should not happen.”
Mayor Moya would not say what specific course of action will be taken but when the issue came to a head earlier this year the council threatened protests which would have disrupted operations in the cruise industry.
