PM Explains New Diesel Tax

Importers of diesel fuel and biodiesel will pay a standard tax for petroleum oil, following the passage of a new piece of legislation in the National Assembly.  On Friday, the Briceño administration introduced and read through the bill in the House of Representatives.  According to Prime Minister John Briceño, the reason for the tax being applied evenly is because there are no facilities in the country that can test regular diesel from biodiesel.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“The practical effect is that all diesels are going to be paying the same tax because somebody could be bringing in real diesel and seh da biodiesel and they have no way of knowing that.  You would have to take that, I am told that it has to be sent to El Salvador to be able to test here.  So, for practical reasons, it just means that all, any fuel that’s called diesel will pay the same tax. In this case, Puma that already has an established network and services that they provide to Belize.”