PM Calls Chamber’s Fuel Tax Request “Embarrassing”

Prime Minister John Briceño has dismissed the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (BCCI) call for a reduction in fuel taxes, calling the request “embarrassing” and arguing that shifting money from one tax to another does not reduce the government’s overall take.

“If you collect $100 in taxes and you have environmental tax, you have GST, you have excise and import tax, it’s still $100. It doesn’t matter where you take it from. You could take it off environmental tax or the import tax or the excise tax. It’s still removing money from the whole amount… It’s embarrassing sometimes to read such proclamations from the Chamber,” he told News 5.

The remarks come in response to a letter the Chamber sent to government on May 27th, in which it welcomed a recent decision to resume publishing fuel price breakdowns but said transparency alone was not enough. The Chamber argued that while the percentage share of fuel taxes has dropped slightly, the actual dollar amount consumers pay in taxes has not fallen significantly, meaning people at the pump are not feeling much relief even as global oil prices come down.

“Excise duties in absolute dollar terms appear to have remained within a relatively consistent range despite fluctuations in global fuel prices. In practical terms, this has limited the extent to which reductions in international prices translate into relief at the pump for consumers and businesses,” the letter read.

To fix that, the Chamber asked the government to consider short-term measures such as a temporary cut to excise taxes on fuel or other targeted steps to lower prices. The group said high fuel costs continue to drive up the price of transportation, business operations, and everyday goods across the country.

The Chamber ended the letter saying it is open to working with the government on solutions that balance the country’s revenue needs with economic stability.