And, as we told you last night: Premium fuel increased from $12.53 to $13.76 which is an increase of $1.23 per gallon and Regular saw an increase from $11.77 to 13.02 which is $1.25 per gallon. Again, those are prices in the city; it is higher out district. In Punta Gorda, for example, a gallon of premium fuel is at $13.98, just about 14 dollars even.
But how much of that is taxes? Well, Jules Vasquez has an analysis of last year's tax take - and it was consistently high - which - when we looked into our archives - puts the Prime Minister in a delicate spot:
When premium and regular gas broke the 13 dollar mark at midnight - it sent a shock across the economy and had vehicle owners lining up at fuel pumps late last night.
It's a direct consequence of the conflict in Iran which has caused a massive spike across global energy markets.
And in Belize, the 10% increase has made it clear that government will not decrease its tax take to give consumers a break.
An analysis of last year's 44 fuel price adjustments shows that on average, government's tax take on regular fuel was 41%, on premium it was 45% - and on diesel it was 38%.
Government took its biggest bite from the pump price in December - when world oil prices were the lowest in a decade. That peaked at 48% on premium gas on December 30th, and 44% on regular gas on the same date.
And in February and March of 2025, the world price of fuel and the landed cost dropped by 24 cents. But did the savings go to consumers? No, instead the government raised its tax take by 24 cents to keep the price locked at $11.68 per gallon - while the windfall went to the government purse.
We don't have the formula yet for the latest sharp increase in pump price - but we know that it puts the Prime Minister John Briceno in a difficult position - since in 2017 and 2018, he publicly campaigned for lower gas prices:
File: October 5, 2017
Hon. John Briceno - Protester
"The government is overtaxing the Belizean people on fuel."
Briceno was opposition leader then and he even joined a public protest against the high cost of fuel:
File: October 5, 2017
Hon. John Briceno - Protester
"We are here as citizens of this country. A call was made out inviting all citizens to come out to speak out or to show displeasure to the government of Belize over the high cost of fuel."
"We felt that it is important for us to show as a citizen that we are totally and completely 100% dissatisfied in the high cost of fuel."
And he had stern advice for then PM Dean Barrow:
File: October 5, 2017
Hon. John Briceno - Leader of the Opposition
"He needs to reduce the tax by at least $2 so that we can keep the price of fuel under $10."
"This is unsustainable; this is unacceptable because the burden that he is putting on the Belizean people is just way too much. We are at a breaking point."
Well, we are right back there - at that time the price per gallon was hovering at around $11.00, it is now at $13.00.
And, those feeling gas pain would ask Briceno, "politician, listen to thyself."
File: June 6, 2018
Hon. John Briceno - Leader of the Opposition
"The cost of basic goods continues to rise due to the increase in the cost of fuel. With each new shipment comes another increase and the prime minister keeps collecting - or should I say he keeps sucking more and more from our pockets in taxes on fuel."
"Government can and should immediately reduce the tax on all fuel. How can our productive sector grow when an important cost of production; fuel, continues to rise?"
The pump price of diesel is expected to go up soon - possibly with the next shipment of fuel.
