Espat speaks on tourism, governance
As Minister of Tourism he was a favourite of the industry; a government policy maker who actually had valuable experience in the field. Today Mark Espat returned to the friendly venue of the B.T.I.A.’s semi annual general meeting. The theme of his address was governance and reform … and the Minister of National Development highlighted the pluses–and many minuses–in a quarter century of independence.
Mark Espat, Minister of National Development
?Belize has fallen to ninety-one of one hundred seventy-five countries in the United Nations Human Development Index, as you know, one in three of our citizens are below the poverty line. Fourteen hundred inmates almost occupy our national prison, twenty-four percent of our population are now considered functionally illiterate, and almost half of our children do not go from primary to secondary school. Our national debt stands at two billion dollars Belize or about seven thousand dollars for every woman, child, and man in our country. Eighty percent of our agricultural land is owned by three percent of land owners. We saw all of us, sadly in the news this week that two year old Kimora Leslie died because of the unavailability of a shunt and the lacking national health care insurance. There is a two point four percent prevalence rate for HIV/AIDS. Our roads, many of them don?t have a dividing line. Our meteorological service doesn?t have a weather radar. Our mentally ill patients don?t have the appropriate hospital. There are reasons for dissatisfaction.?
Espat also spoke about the continued growth in tourism, but cautioned that our success should not be taken for granted. While urging his audience to maintain a competitive edge, he highlighted two matters of particular importance: Voice Over Internet Protocol and General Sales Tax.
Mark Espat, Minister of National Development
?We all know that VOIP is not illegal in Belize and it should not be made illegal. Forty-nine countries in fact have legalised VOIP. What is illegal is B.T.L.?s blocking of VOIP. VOIP has emerged because of the exorbitant cost of long distance calls, in fact B.T.L. itself employs Voice Over Internet Technology and should offer this service to Belizeans at globally competitive rates. B.T.L.?s ownerships appears to be clinging to the past mainly to protect profits, but the march of technology and the tide of personal freedom that brought us from the Morris Code to the Telex to the fax machine to the email cannot and will not be halted. And so the Public Utilities Commission is oblige, I believe, if they are to remain relevant, to defend the interest of the consumers including the tourism related consumers.?
?And while the industry?s G.S.T. status may not be what you have requested, I want to say on behalf on our Ministry of Investment that we wish to enhance the support for our tourism industry. We will now place at the Ministry of Investment, renewed emphasis on our incentive programme. Both the regular development concession programme, as well as the smaller medium enterprise framework so as to make more level the tax paying field in tourism. BELTRAIDE will streamline the process and fast track bona fide tourism related applications with the intention of supporting your industry competitiveness.?
Espat also put forward ten recommendations for improved governance. These include campaign finance reform, limits to government borrowing and spending, an elected senate, a greater share of oil revenues for the treasury, stiffer penalties under the Finance and Audit Reform Act, term limits for legislators, restrictions on Social Security investments, a periodic review of the minimum wage, further tax reform and greater financial autonomy for towns and villages.
