July 1 was implementation day for the General Sales Tax and while every single consumer now knows what GST is all about and how it will affect their pockets truth be told the tax is still relatively new, that in particular for the implementers. Today those very people who will ensure that the tax is properly administered and collected began a one-week training seminar. The University of Belize is facilitating the training of auditors and we stopped in to see how the GST unit is sharpening its skills at collecting the tax.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
In opening the one week seminar of General Sales Tax auditors, Minister Coye reiterated that what the GST is, is the valued added tax by another name.
Hon. Jose Coye,
"We felt indeed that there is this tax that we had before, Value Added Tax, and it has worked in the world. 130+ countries have adopted that tax and Belize is one of the fives countries that abolished. So it is telling you that there is something good about the Value Added Tax. And then we decided to put it in a new name as some countries do. They call it the GSY, the General Sales Tax, is that correct, because something it is called the God Send Tax, it is the General Sales Tax."
And it is that very tax that these auditors are being trained to manage, monitor, and collect on.
Beverly Castillo, GST Commissioner
"We are preparing the training for auditors really to enhance their skills, their auditing so that their presence can be felt in the field and we can try and develop that customer service relations with the tax payers to try and enhance compliance. It is building on our efficiencies to ensure that they are aware of the type of business that is happening out there and the evidence gathering to make that assessment so you collect the right amount of tax."
And Castillo says that by the middle of this month they will be able to determine exactly how the GST system is working. But for now, the questions are coming in from the business community.
Beverly Castillo,
"Questions are coming now. We have a lot of attention being placed on the GST. Prior to that we thought it was a bit slow but now we have the questions being thrown at us. We have increased registration but we will know it works on the 15th of August when our first return is due."
And when that happens, these are the faces that businesspersons will be seeing combing through the account books.
The GST auditors seminar will run for one week.
