A New Way to Pay B.T.B.

The Belize City Council led the charge toward online payments for property taxes a few years ago, and much of the government apparatus at national and local level are rushing to follow suit. One of Belize’s richest statutory bodies, the Belize Tourism Board, joined the charge with the launch of a new online portal on Wednesday, through which industry partners can conduct official business with the Board. Starting with tax returns and other payments, hotel accommodations and later guest registration forms and licensing applications and renewals will keep you from having to come to the Board’s Belize City office. Aaron Humes reports that the Board is joining in on the brave new world of e-government systems.

Aaron Humes, Reporting

The primary boast of the e-government system now being increasingly favoured worldwide is the provision of faster, easier access to official services at lesser or no cost. The Belize Tourism Board, which rakes in millions annually from the providers in Belize’s top industry, has joined the bandwagon with the launch of a new online payment portal.

Karen Pike

Karen Pike, Director of Marketing & Industry Relations, Belize Tourism Board

“As a statutory body, under the Ministry of Tourism, the Belize Tourism Board plays a strategic partnership between the government of Belize and the private sector to develop, market and implement tourism programs that fulfill the emerging needs of the tourism industry. It is under this mandate that the Belize Tourism Board saw it fit to facilitate an innovative way to meet the needs, but also improve the service to our highly valued stakeholders, hence the creation of the online portal that we are launching today. The new B.T.B. online portal will replace the current manual system. It will be administered by the B.T.B. and allow tourism stakeholders to conduct various types of official business, such as licensing, guest registration, monthly tax declaration and online payments through selected banks.”

Board manager for business development, Sean Tang, says that the Board’s Regent Street office is now just fingertips away.

Sean Tang

Sean Tang, Business Development Manager, Belize Tourism Board

“It is basically a B.T.B. office at your fingertips. It is a secure environment you can access from your mobile, from our computer, or laptop that allows you to access the B.T.B. services from your personal computer or your own electronic device. You are able to do tax submissions, payments, and also licensing.  Hotel stakeholders are able to submit their monthly tax declarations online from this portal directly, so this will be real time. They are also able to make their payments online through any of the banks – Atlantic Bank; Heritage Bank; Belize Bank and Scotia Bank. You’re also able to view your current account information such as the contact information, the licensing, registration that you have with the B.T.B.”

Pike, building on the consistently burgeoning statistics proclaiming tourism to Belize to be better than ever, reiterated the Board’s commitment to its stakeholders.

Karen Pike

“The B.T.B. is committed to embed tourism services as a top priority as we contribute to the overall economic growth for Belize. Likewise, the B.T.B. recognizes that our tourism stakeholders are the backbone of our industry and we are strongly committed to improve our services as we ensure the economic growth of the tourism industry through a prudent and transparent process.”

Aaron Humes reporting for News Five.