Tonight, Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley is urging the stakeholders in the Fort George Tourism Zone to keep calm, he's not taxing them, at least not yet. This is after those stakeholders had a press conference yesterday complaining that the Tourism Board and the City Council were trying to railroad them into new taxes and fees in a Tourism Zone that is sorely lacking in basic tourist infrastructure.
Well, it seems the Mayor heard them loud and clear. A release from the city council this evening says, quote, "the concerns being expressed by the Fort Street Tourism Zone stakeholders are genuine and valid." It adds, "proposals (will) be reviewed with their concerns and recommendations in mind." And then it underscores what the mayor has been saying, quote, "Do not move unless you are assured that the buses will be relocated and the tourists will go through the park." End quote.
And as it relates to fees, quote, "the Belize City Council understands that stakeholders believe the proposed fees are too high and the stakeholders understand that they cannot continue to operate without contributing to the continued maintenance and development of the area. This is a solid foundation from which an acceptable agreement can soon be forged.
Until the Council returns to stakeholders...with its revised rental and operations fees chart, no charges will be implemented." end quote.
Ok, so for the time being, the status quo remains. But there are some fundamental differences. For example, Tour Guide Companies which hire multiple guides. They say they are already paying a trade license fee, but now the council wants them to pay a peddlers fee on top of that. The Guides disagree strongly. Here are booth sides of that argument:...
Albert Alvarez, Tour Guide Company Operator
"Since they're working on our tour operator automatically they become an employee, even if its part time. I think it's illegal for anybody to tax an employee, you'll have to tax a business owner who is the tour operator. As tour operators we also pay an annual trade license. If we do pay trade license than any other additional license or even peddlers license is double whammy. I don't think any other business pays that and we're supposed to be considered a business like anybody else. So if you betray license then where does the peddlers license come into play."
Darrell Bradley, Mayor
"Do you know what the taxing regulation tells us? Who pays your social security? So that these people will tell me that they are employees, they work for tour operators but the reality is that that's not the case. They own their own van, their out here morning, noon and sometimes evenings. They are very dedicated and we respect that. They pay their own social security, their own fuel so that all day what a tour operator does is act as an agent to refer to us that particular operator. They're not really working for somebody, they're in business for themselves and there are quite ample legal tests to determine if you are employee vs if you're a contractor. They will say they are an employee because nobody wants to pay the tax, that's the reality. So let's have an honest conversation in relation to what's the maintenance cost for this area and what is a reasonable fee that you should be able to pay."
Albert Alvarez, Tour Guide Company Operator
"I don't see where the money will come from to pay the tax. There's a perception that people that work in the tourism zone make a lot of money, that's a terrible conception. They don't work here."
Darrell Bradley, Mayor
"But the reality is that if you are being asked to pay taxes, then come to the table, let's discuss. The people who benefit the most from the area should pay something even if it is a moderate fee so that we can defray the operational expenses from maintaining the zone."
Both sides are expected to meet soon to go over their differences.
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