High Car Import Duties Fuel Border Corruption, Says UDP Area Rep.

Allegations of corruption at Belize’s borders surfaced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday after Mesopotamia’s area representative for the UDP, Lee Mark Chang, claimed that some importers are paying customs officers under the table to receive reduced duties on imported vehicles.

Raising the issue during the adjournment of the sitting, Chang argued that the high cost of bringing vehicles into Belize is fuelling the problem. “If we truly want to stop the corruption at the border, then remove the incentive that creates corruption. Reduce the duties on imported vehicles, and especially for vehicles over five years,” he said, adding that these are typically the vehicles the working and middle class can afford.

Prime Minister John Briceño argued against him, saying the issue was there long before his administration and that reforms are already underway to tighten the system for assessing duties.

“Now that we have made the adjustments and we are removing all the, what they call the residual value and giving the customs officer the ability to give these steep discounts, to give them the ability to save money.” Briceño said.

He acknowledged that costs have risen as customs officers are now required to charge the full duty listed. But he added that the government is working with the Ministry of Finance, Customs, and importers to strike a balance.

He suggested that reducing some of the taxes on vehicles could actually increase government revenue by eliminating illegal side payments.