The City Council owes SEL $1.7 million and as we reported last night – on Tuesday marshalls from the Supreme Court showed up at City Hall to crowfoot the City Council’s properties. That didn’t happen on Tuesday but the City Council has to run di the money by July 10th or else. Well tonight the news is that if the City Council gets its way – they won’t have to Rupert Marin a single cent. That is because as we told you last night SEL owes government $6 million in back taxes for GST and sales tax dating back to 2005. The City Councillor leading negotiations is Phillip Willoughby and he told us today that is sure the City Council won’t go through the public embarrassment of losing any of its assets to Marin.
Keith Swift,
What did they say were going to take?
Phillip Willoughby, Belize City Councillor
“Well Keith I believe the two marshals came, they did surveyed all the premises of the council, they probably wrote it down and marked it in some way that they do and probably waited to see what will happen. But that won’t happen. That won’t happen.”
Keith Swift,
How are you so sure?
Phillip Willoughby,
“Keith, Phillip Willoughby, Councillor Willoughby sorry, does his homework. We are proceeding with the payment plan schedule to them but as well we know there are matters and issues that have arised to this point stating that SEL has an outstanding amount of money owing to the government. Now the determination of those outstanding amounts and arrears will be dealt with by the government agencies, Sales Tax, Income Tax, and so forth and we await to see what will happen with regards to that matter.
If the government is saying that SEL owes them this, they will act in some way or the other to say they need to collect this money. That is yet to be seen but I guess in time that will be revealed.”
And as optimistic as he may be, Willoughby gave us no confirmation of the City Council’s strategy. It is of note that the city council is in a similar situation of indebtedness with Belize Waste Control except in that case, the two sides have agreed on a payment arrangement.
