We have been in possession of the same document showing Vanessa Briceno allegedly owing 11.1 million dollars to the GST Department.
The Prime Minister says there's a long history there - and it's mostly penalties and fees. Here's how he explained it:
Hon. John Briceno- Prime Minister
"Vanessa, without talking about her private business, has been trying to correct that for a very long time. Because it seems like the way the GST was charging the GST, they were charging the GST on the gross sales when the GST should only be charged, as you know, on the amount of the value that you put on. And the value that they are getting is about 12 cents on what is being sold. And because they have been back and forth they are working up the interest and the penalties and it is going up, a totally ridiculous situation. That is one of the points that we are making also to the Unions. When you see these millions of dollars that are being owed by the business community, a lot of that is going to be uncollectible because in many instances, because you are negotiating and you know how they go, the pace that they go, they are just adding interest and penalties, interest and penalties that is totally out of law. So, I know that Vanessa is still, has been actually, from the previous government, has been trying to meet with them and trying to see how they could settle it. But at the pace that they are moving it is almost..."
Jules Vasquez- Reporter
"But how do you put yourself now as Minister of Finance? You are in charge of it and it is a family member, and the company is owned by your family member. And it is not an insignificant sum. I know the interest and penalties are there."
Hon. John Briceno
"Well, the sum, what I know, is not even a quarter of what they are asking for. It is not even a million dollars of what we are talking about because they started charging her this the day she became an agent for Smart. And from what she has told me, she, back then, thought that Smart was paying the GST, she was not aware that she should have paid. And so, when it was brought to our attention many years later, that is where we are where we are. So it is not going to be anything close to that. But I could assure you that I will have no input in that. Whatever the professionals, the people in the Belize Tax Service decide that that's what the payment, then that's..."
Jules Vasquez
"Well you just assured me it will be nowhere near that so I'm just thinking you will have input."
Hon. John Briceno
"Absolutely not Jules, how could you reach to that, man?"
Jules Vasquez
"Well you just said..."
Hon. John Briceno
"If you want to sound personal, because then I could say other things but I don't want to go down that road man. But the point is, I can tell you obviously because she is my sister and we have been talking about that years ago, from it came up. From way back I know about this, it is not because I have been talking to her now that I am Prime Minister about this matter. I just want to make that very clear."
