Seems to us that celebrating the anniversary of a tax is like celebrating a stone in your shoe that you just can’t get out. But maybe a not: a stone gives you pain and nothing else, while the tax gives you pain, but it gives the tax collector millions of dollars. That is worthy of a celebration, three years on, the sales tax has been a consistent revenue performer. Today 7News caught up with the acting assistant commissioner Evan Brown and GST officer Delanni Thurton Romero who explained that while consumers may view the GST as only a benefit to the registered business establishments who claim refunds, consumers like you and me do benefit as well. We also found out about the activities plan for the coming week to help the tax department in their GST educational campaign.
Jacqueline Godwin,
Since the GST was implemented in 2006, how much has government collected?
Evan Brown,
“Within the first as I said we surpassed the target. In 08 we’ve also not necessarily met our target but we fell a million below the target and in 09 where in the budget we are supposed to collect $192 million. That will be net of refunds. We can definitely say that because of the economic downturn again, we won’t be able to meet that target. However we are still confident that based on our new strategies that we are implementing, we should see that figure increase somewhat.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
What new strategies?
Evan Brown,
“Our auditing modules, our national auditing plan, and our enforcement process that we are working on. Registered businesses that grosses $75,000 per annum pay the GST on behalf of the government of Belize. How it works in terms of when collections are made at the office, we have over the counter collection and also online through Atlantic Bank and now Belize Bank.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
So there is that convenience provided for business owners. Do these individuals get back a refund?
Evan Brown,
“There is a refund mechanism. The offsetting with your inputs and your outputs yes business entities do get a refund.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
From we the consumers, I see the GST as a burden. The whole idea behind the anniversary celebration is to educate people like myself so that the next time I go and I pay a 10 percent on whatever bill I need to pay, I don’t look at it as something as a burden. How does it benefit me? How does this tax benefit me, so I feel good paying that extra 10%?
Evan Brown,
“I wouldn’t consider it a burden Jackie, we all as consumers pay GST, whether it is at Customs or different business entities around the country we all benefit from the services provided by the government of Belize from revenues collected.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
So if I pay $30 more on my phone or my light bill, that $30 should be used for what?
Evan Brown,
“Well that is a Cabinet decision but as far as I know where revenue collected from all revenue agencies it goes into goods and services provided the Government of Belize.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
So ultimately I, well I am not a business owner, but ultimately as a consumer I should feel that I am being benefited from paying GST?
Evan Brown,
“We all benefit from revenues collected on behalf of the government. Like I said it goes into services and national plan of the government.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
In observance of the GST third anniversary, what activities will be held this week?
Delanni Thurton Romero,
“We will be having a variety of activities, for instance tomorrow we will be having our booth displays throughout the country. We will be definitely demonstrating the three different types of taxes, the zero rated supplies, the exempt supplies, and the standard rated supplies and in addition we will be having flyers and posters just to give everybody a general idea of what we do here and what is expected of them, their tax obligations, and so forth.”
Tomorrow in Belize City the booth displays will be mounted at Mirab Store, Sav U Supermarket, Extra House and Brodies on the highway from ten in the morning until two in the afternoon. At each outlets shoppers can enter a raffle simply by dropping off their GST receipts at each outlet. The lucky winner will receive a surprise household item. Other activities for next week include advisory visits to business establishment, countrywide community outreach services.
