We also heard the union’s response to Financial Secretary Joseph Waight after he suggested on Thursday that an increase in wages could possibly lead to an increase in taxes. According to the union leaders, GOB is working to pit the public against them.
Nadia Caliz, President, BNTU
“Again we are dealing with politicians and we are seeing the fact that the Belizean populace are in support of what we are doing and they want us to lose that support so they are looking for something to scare people. At the end of the day, I don’t know if you have heard, but there is this allegation that the Belize Tax Service will become a statutory body. Now, think about that. We will be paying taxes, taxes to wherever will get that contract. That is something we were discussing that we don’t agree with. So they will have another fight with workers, because that is something that should remain with the government. Now let us talk taxes. We are already paying very high taxes. The way our system is designed you have one group paying the majority of those taxes. The people at the top pay very little and the people at the bottom, well we understand, they are taking home small change. What we are asking for to have a tax system that allows people to pay based on what they earn. But they continue to ignore that. They give million away to investors and they expect this group of public officers and teachers to continue to sacrifice for teachers. And I understand the whole idea of fiscal incentives, but you don’t have to be giving every single thing away because a friend of yours will get a contract on the side. No we need o go away with that mentality and behavior. The Fin Sec with eh last administration under Dean Barrow they used him for the same thing. So everybody uses the Fin Sec and brother Wight I am tired of you being used. Please let them use you for the right reason.”
Dean Flowers, President, PSU
“And when my own Belizean like uncle Joe, refuse to address the issue of the tax incentives and exemptions that the puts his signature to. Instead of addressing those he threatens the Belizean people with taxes it shows how his lack of creativity and that he has no talent in terms of executing his job effectively. I want to encourage him to stop that nonsense. It is no time to talk about the raising of income tax, it is time to say let us level the playing field. Let us look at the lawyers who have created companies and formed partnerships and who have not been paying their fare share. The professionals, they are paying six percent, but when they create partnerships that is divided. You have the business sector who are unchecked, because this administration, like it predecessors refuse to put a real time mechanism, a real time check system hat really and truly identify what your true sales are so that government can collect its fair share of taxes. So uncle Joe has the home grown remedy. Uncle Joe got it but it look like uncle Joe drink the whit man kool aid, the IMF kool aid all his life and now he want we take care of him from cradle to grave. Now he come with his simpleness about tax. Uncle Joe relax yourself. You see what Dr. Carla Barnett did after she couldn’t fix it for us, she gone relax dah CARICOM. Uncle Joe needs to do the same.”