And part of the reason why BEL says it needs the increase is rising fuel costs. Last week the price for a gallon of diesel rose by 80 cents and the price of a gallon of premium gas is now teetering on the ten dollar mark. Cuthkelvin says for now - it is out of government’s hands.
Delroy Cuthkelvin,
“Well the fact is that it has gone up a little and it is something we regret. The figures have to be worked through properly. The UDP’s commitment was to eventually replace the present tax on fuel with a flat tax and the UDP is still committed to that. These are budgetary matters that will have to wait until the new budget in June. We know consumers are taking a licking but as I said these are budgetary considerations that would have to wait for the new budget in June.
What the new government has been trying to do is to absorb as much of the cost as possible. In terms of working through the entire numbers as it relates to what the government needs to get from the cost of fuel in terms of taxes, in terms of a long term solution – that will have to wait for the new budget in June. In the meantime the government has trying its best to absorb whatever costs it can as we’ve seen in those instances.”
Cuthkelvin also discussed the status of the investigation into the $20 million from Venezuela. When asked about the possibility of criminal charges against former Prime Minister Said Musa, Housing Minister Ralph Fonseca, and Foreign Affairs CEO Amalai Mai – Cuthkelvin said that it is in the hands of GOB’s lawyers.
Delroy Cuthkelvin,
“I was told that the advice of our attorneys, namely Mr. Michael Young, Ms. Tanya Longsworth, and also Mr. Gian Ghandi who is the government’s advisor, the advice from them has been for us not to comment too much on what is happening there because it might prejudice the legal actions they are about to take. As you know the Prime Minister has said that the government of Belize will be demanding that the Belize Bank return the money to the government and people of Belize.”
Some other announcements made at this morning’s briefing are that Prime Minister Dean Barrow leaves Belize on Sunday for Miami where he will meet with officials from the World Bank. Barrow will also attend the IDB’s annual meeting and hold discussions with officials from the OPEC Fund for International Development. He returns to Belize next Wednesday. Along that same line – financial advisor Carla Barnett has been nominated as Belize’s alternate governor for the IDB.
Also notable is that the Comptroller of Customs has been tasked to review the list of vehicles that were sold in the months leading up to the general election. He will be exploring the possibility of “up-stamp the duty” on the vehicles. That means re-assessing the duty.
One additional announcement is that government will establish a youth secretariat – which Cuthkelvin says will be something like the Conscious Youth Development Program – or CYDP as it was known.
