Chang, PM Spar Over Alleged Customs Kickbacks

A new flashpoint erupted in the House on Tuesday as the debate shifted from numbers to integrity. Mesopotamia area rep Lee Mark Chang raised alarms about what he says is an open secret at the border, importers slipping cash to customs officers in exchange for discounted vehicle duties. He argued that sky‑high import costs are driving people toward the shadows, and that lowering duties on older vehicles could help shut the door on corruption. But Prime Minister John Briceño pushed back, insisting the issue didn’t start with his administration and that government is already tightening up assessments while looking at possible changes to vehicle taxes. Here’s how that exchange played out inside the House.

 

Lee Mark Chang, Area Representative, Mesopotamia

“Leadership means taking responsibility. Leadership means confronting corruption. Leadership means implementing policies that ease the burden on the ordinary citizens. If we truly want to stop the corruption at the border then remove the incentive that create corruption. Reduce the duties on imported vehicles and especially for vehicles over five years. There should be a deeper reduction because, Madam Speaker, these are the vehicles the working class and middle class can actually afford.”

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“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. But now what is happening? Now that they have to apply the full amount of the duty that you have been reading, in which many instances you are right, the cost of a vehicle has gone up tremendously because enow they have to pay what is in the books. I’ve been working along with the ministry of Finance and the Customs and also with importers of vehicles, trying to find that equilibrium and making the point  whereby when you workout what is supposed to be collected, to what government collects and what is being paid in other ways, we came up to a certain percentage whereby we are working now to be able to amend the customs act, the taxes that we are going to be charging on vehicles. Because by reducing the amount of taxes that we’ve been charging, I believe that as a government we will be able to collect even more money. Because now you are taking away the middleman.”

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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