Customs Crackdown Continues as Vehicle Tax Changes Loom

Reports of customs officers cutting under‑the‑table deals with car importers are nothing new; in fact, they’ve been around for years. That long‑standing concern is what pushed the Briceño administration to roll out new regulations, tightening the rules by limiting officers’ discretion and requiring duties to be calculated based on the actual transaction value. But despite those changes, reports suggest the hustle may still be alive and well within the department. Today, Prime Minister John Briceño says his government is now exploring another approach, one that would lower taxes on newer model vehicles and, hopefully, discourage the continued importation of salvage cars.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“No I am not aware of it. I just heard about it. But like what I said to the media when it comes to the police officer Pou that says he had evidence, he needs to go to the DPP. This gentleman needs to go to the DPP or police and lodge a formal complaint so that we can deal with it. WE are trying to fix that problem. Over a year ago we were changing where everybody, when they bring in their cars they bring in a bill of sale and not bring the actual document that shows what they have paid for it. So we changed the law back then to make sure they have to do that. Last year there was a great uproar from the car dealers. They say they have not been given enough notice to prepare. Well we have given them almost a year’s notice and we started to implement it. But it does not end there. There are two things we have to look at. One we have to start to encourage newer vehicles to come in. So we will be able to reduce the taxes on the newer vehicles that will be able to last longer in Belize. Trying to see how we can discourage salvage vehicles from coming here. Salvage vehicles cannot run in the U.S. and most countries in Central America and the Caribbean do not allow salvage vehicles to come into their countries. It is unfortunate that in several instances when people are sold a vehicle that is salvage they do not know. Then three months later and six months later they find out something is wrong. I bought one of them for my wife when she was in Houston. I needed a vehicle for her when she studying and three months later she noticed the radiator was rattling and they had other problems. When they looked at it they saw it tied with wire. We need to look at how we can better regulate that reduce the tax and remove the subjectivity of Custom officers and it has already started because one or two colleagues have asked me if we can help and I said no that is the law. It is the tax.”

 

Prime Minister John Briceño says anyone with evidence of corruption must formally report it, while his government moves ahead with plans to reduce taxes on newer vehicles and curb the importation of salvage cars in an effort to clean up customs practices.