AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Talk Belize Weather Tropical Storms & Hurricanes NO DUTIES FOR REBUILDING!!

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I heard yesterday that Customs still is charging the usual duty...No breaks there!

I would not hold my breath...although that would be a pleasant surprise!

To the Honorable Said Musa
Prime Minister of Belize,
We are concerned American citizens who have had close a personal
relationships with friends who are Belizean citizens for many years.
Like many Americans I know, we want to help in the disaster recovery
from Hurricane Keith. We know many Belizean's in Caye Caulker and
Ambergris Caye who are in desperate need for supplies. We have already
sent many supplies to individuals and am continuing to get more support
for relief aide from the US. Our biggest dilemma thus far has been
getting goods passed through Belize Customs, in that the people who are
receiving the supplies do not have the money to pay duties on what has
been sent to them. We are working with others in the Houston, Texas
area to collect supplies from around the US and transport them to Belize


via 18 wheel trucks and air cargo transports. We have been in contact
with the Honorable Patty Arceo and the Belizean Consulate in Houston,
but have not been given any directive on how we can send relief directly


to people who have requested support. Patty has been very helpful in
supplying information on sending supplies to the San Pedro Town Board
but support needs to go well beyond this limited resource. As you are
aware, we in Houston are the most strategic point of collecting and
transporting relief supplies from the US to Belize, due to our
geographical location. We are presented with a major dilemma in
completing our supply efforts, in that we have trucks fully loaded and
ready for transport this weekend. They will not reach needy Belize
citizens if they are stopped at the boarder and required to pay import
duties. I am urgently requesting for you to provide relief from these
duties for these emergency supplies, regardless to whom they are shipped


within the country of Belize. We need some strong guidance from your
administration on procedures for individuals shipping supplies, to
assure we can do so without fear they will not arrive due to Customs and


Tariffs. We also need a formal statement from your administration to
your Customs Agency to assure they will not impose duties. As concerned
outsiders we can only go so far in our effort to respond and help, now
is the time for the country Belize to help themselves by streamlining
the process of providing its citizens with needed relief from the
outside support. I assure you if you perform this needed responsible
act, the support from the US will be overwhelming. If not, as you might
expect Citizens of the US are going to be reluctant to send supplies
that might be turned away at the boarder because no money is available
to pay all the tariffs and duties.


Thanks in advance for your support, as we eagerly await your response.
Paul and Madeline Bunch
8813 Echo Valley Drive,
Houston, Texas 77055


Phone: 01-713-461-4874
Fax: 01-713-465-6832
email: bunchp@ix.netcom.com

Here is the letter I sent to the Prime Minister, other Ministers and the Belize Tourist Board. Feel free to adapt whatever portions you deem appropriate. (Emailed to most, and will fax to those without email addresses)
__________________

Dear Mr. Prime Minister Said Musa:

My husband and I are US citizens who have owned two condo units on Ambergris Caye for several years. Although these units are in the tourist rental market, we have always subsidized the costs of owning them; we send thousands of dollars to Belize every year to cover maintenance, fees for our manager (who is a Belizean-born citizen), maintenance, supplies, thereby providing jobs and income for local people, as well as taxes from the rentals. We provide income for many people, directly and indirectly. We hope to live in Belize some day when and if we are financially able to do so. I provide this introduction in the hopes that you are not offended by receiving advice from a non-citizen of Belize.

Like many others here in the US who love Belize, we have been monitoring Hurricane Keith and its impact on Ambergris Caye and Key Caulker via //www.ambergriscaye.com We have personally donated $2,500 to the local relief effort so far and we will be seeking donations from others here in the US.

However, we are very concerned that, to date, the Belize government has failed to take a very important step in ensuring that the hundreds of Belizean citizens who lost homes on these two islands (as well as those who suffered severe damage on the mainland) and the owners of tourist accommodations, restaurants, boats and other tourist services are not asked to pay import duty on supplies and tools needed to rebuild and refurnish their homes and businesses by PLACING A 6 MONTHS (at least) MORATORIUM ON ALL IMPORT DUTIES. Such a moratorium is absolutely necessary to a speedy recovery from this disaster because:

1. It is MORALLY WRONG to tax people for the privilege of rebuilding and refurnishing their homes after a natural disaster.

2. The most severe damage on Ambergris Caye was to the homes on the lagoon side. The situation is even worse on Caye Caulker. These homes belong to local residents least able to pay for rebuilding; forcing them to pay import duties on the supplies and equipment for rebuilding (either directly or indirectly) will leave many of their families unable to rebuild and turn them into internal refugees. THIS IS IMMORAL. It will also lead to family breakdown, interruption in education, and poor health.

3. Tourist accommodations in Belize (and certainly, on Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker) are not owned by big corporations, they are owned by individuals, families and very small companies operating on a shoestring. Yet these two islands bring in a
substantial share of the gross national product of Belize. Much of the damage will be absorbed by the owners, since insurance deductibles are typically ten per cent. Imposing import duties on these small business people for the privilege of resuming their contribution to the Belizean economy does not make sense. IT IS BAD ECONOMICS.

4. We are told that a substantial number, perhaps even the majority of dive and snorkel boat operators lost one or more of their boats. These boats are the livelihood of these people and they provide a service that is one of the primary reasons that tourists come to Belize. How can the government consider taxing replacements? How can you punish people financially because a hurricane destroyed their livelihood? I have personally watched many of the young men I first met as employees of dive boat owners save up and buy their own boats. Most of them were not insured. This is a tragedy; to compound it by taxing them for replacement boats would be compounding that tragedy.

5. The paperwork and delay associated with import duties has already negatively impacted relief supplies (even though such supplies are SUPPOSED TO BE exempt, we are told that shipments are being delayed because customs officers are demanding "letters," or labelling is unclear or non existent. ) People are desperately in need of emergency help and it is wrong to permit ANY delay in getting supplies. If there is a moratorium there is no need to delay. Same for shipments of rebuilding supplies. Every day that reconstruction is delayed by customs paperwork has a ripple in the already small Belizean economy. THE COUNTRY CANNOT AFFORD THIS!

6. Many of us are actively soliciting donations of money and in kind products and services from corporations and wealthy individuals in the U.S. If the word gets out that donors will have to pay import duty, they will not donate. The government must PUBLICLY ANNOUNCE A SUSPENSION OF ALL CUSTOMS DUTIES and send press releases out to the world that this has been done. Customs activity should, during this period, be limited to law enforcement concerns (interdicting drugs, weapons, etc.) and not revenue production.

Import duties has always been a poor way to fund an economy. But during a time of recovery from a major natural disaster, it is especially bad and the cost in dollars as well as misery would far exceed the income to be gained, not to mention the ill will from the people. Failure to impose such a moratorium would be a serious political as well as a moral and economic mistake.

I appreciate your willingness to listen to these concerns.

Here is a list of people to complain to about duty free releif supplies.

MINISTRIES OF GOVERNMENT
Click here for Embassy contact information
Hon Said Musa Ministry of Finance (and Prime Minister)
New Administration Building
Belmopan, Belize C.A.
Tel: 501 - 8-22362/22152
Fax: 501 - 8-22886
E-mail: finsecmof@btl.net


Hon Said Musa Ministry of Foreign Affairs (and Prime Minister)
New Administration Building
P.O. Box 174
Belmopan, Belize C.A.
Tel: 501 - 8-22322/22167
Fax: 501 - 8-22854
E-mail: belizemfa@btl.net
belizemfa@belize.gov.bz

Hon. John Briceno and Hon. Servulo Baeza, Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment
Belmopan, Belize C.A.
Tel: 501 - 8-22630/22711/22249
Fax: 501 - 8- 22333
E-mail: lincenbze@btl.net

Hon. Maxwell Samuels, Ministry of Public Utilities, Transport & Communication
Belmopan, Belize C.A.
Tel: 501 - 8-22435/22817
Fax: 501 - 8-23677/23317

Hon. George Espat, Ministry of National Security & Immigration
Belmopan, Belize C.A.
Tel: 501 - 8-22423/22225
Fax: 501 - 8-22615
E-mail: mary@btl.net

Hon. Ralph Fonseca, Ministry of Budget Planning & Management
New Administration Building
Belmopan, Belize C.A.
Tel: 501 - 8-22526/22527/20714
Fax: 501 - 8-20158
E-mail: primeminister@belize.gov.bz

Hon. George Espat, Ministry of Economic Development
New Administration Building
Belmopan, Belize C.A.
Tel: 501 - 8-22526/22527
Fax: 501 - 8-23111
E-mail: econdev@btl.net

Hon. Ralph Fonseca, Ministry of Investment & Trade
New Administration Building
Belmopan, Belize C.A.
Tel: 501 - 8-22218/31
Fax: 501 - 8-22195
E-mail: investment@btl.net

Hon. Valdemar Castillo, Ministry of Sugar Industry, Local Government & Latin American Affairs
Belmopan, Belize C.A.
Tel: 501 - 8-22167/22322
Fax: 501 - 8-22854
E-mail: belizemfa@belize.gov.bz

Hon. Jose Coye, Ministry of Public Services & Labour
Belmopan, Belize C.A.
Tel: 501 - 8-22204/22205
Fax: 501 - 8-22206
E-mail: publicsvc@btl.net

Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Ministry of Human Development, Women & Youth
Belmopan, Belize C.A.
Tel: 501 - 8-22161/22684
Fax: 501 - 8-23175

Hon. Daniel Silva, Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries
Belmopan, Belize C.A.
Tel: 501 - 8-22241/22242
Fax: 501 - 8-22432
E-mail: mafpaey@btl.net

Hon. Henry Canton, Ministry of Works
Belmopan, Belize C.A.
Tel: 501 - 8-22136/22139
Fax: 501 - 8-23282

E-mail: peumow@btl.net
Hon. Godfrey Smith Attorney General and Minister of Housing and Urban Development
Belmopan, Belize C.A.
Tel: 501-8-22110/22504
Fax: 501-8-23390

Hon. Cordel Hyde, Ministry of Education & Sports
Belmopan, Belize C.A.
Tel: 501 - 8-22380/22329
Fax: 501 - 8-23389
E-mail: educate@btl.net

Hon. Mark Espat, Ministry of Tourism
Belmopan, Belize C.A.
Tel: 501 - 8-23393/23394
Fax: 501 - 8-23815
E-mail: tourismmdpt@btl.net
M
inistry of Health
Belmopan, Belize C.A.
Tel: 501 - 8-22325
Fax: 501 - 8-22942

Hon. Marcial Mes, Ministry of Rural Development & Culture
Belmopan, Belize C.A.
Tel: 501 - 8-22444
Fax: 501 - 8-20317
E-mail: ruraldev@btl.net

Hon. Patricia Arceo, Ministry of Industry & Commerce
New Administration Building
Belmopan, Belize C.A.
Tel: 501 - 8-22199/22153
Fax: 501 - 8-22923
Email: mintrade@btl.net