7 News Belize

Apex Bex ‘Bout Trade License Assessment
posted (June 14, 2018)
So, while that dispute appears to have been amicably resolved, another is brewing between Apex Belize, the managers of the Civic, and City Hall - this one is over trade licenses.

The press has learned that the City's Trade License Board is considering billing Apex a half a million dollars for their trade licenses to operate in Belize.

Now, as viewers are aware, the almost 33 million dollar facility will cost almost a million dollars to run it annually. Apex has to rent it out to cover its operational costs, and they have to meet strict revenue targets in order to be allowed to continue managing it.

So, why such a stiff trade licenses bill for the private Managers? Well, that's what we asked the Deputy Mayor of Belize City yesterday. Here's what he had to say on the topic:

Reporter
"Is that true?"

Oscar Arnold, Deputy Mayor - Belize City
"I can't confirm that. I know that Apex has applied for a trade license. As every other business has to do in the city, but that figure I can't confirm and it's not a tax. I know that the trade license board met, they made a presentation. However, remember now we have Apex group which is a management group managing a public facility. So it's quite a hybrid. It's one of the first times that that has happened and I think that the trade board which is separate from the city council - they are govern by their own act, is just trying to make sure that it get it the right way. We would have to wait and see because now it's not the finance people, it's the trade license board which is separate from the city council. While we have members sitting on the board, it does not control the board."

Reporter
"So you have no idea as to what the trade license figure might look like?"

Oscar Arnold, Deputy Mayor - Belize City
"I haven't gotten an update as to the figure. I understand that there is a discrepancy as to the square footage to be use for the computation of the trade license. That is what I was told."

Reporter
"But sir, at the end of the day, to run this particular facility as was a topic that the party you represent had stressed that it's very expensive; one million dollars to run it and the figure we are being told is half a million dollars being considered. So that would increase the public cost to this particular facility to one point five million dollars."

Oscar Arnold
"You can't look at cost if you are not looking at revenues as well in your argument, however, for the trade license cost or revenue is not taken into consideration, it's the square footage of the premises that you house or that you will use for your business or for your trade… managed by a private group. So now, like I said, the laws are specific for the trade license and that may be even one of the reasons that the trade license board feels that their hands are tied. But at the end of the day they will have to do their studies, they will have to do their recommendations and obviously we have to look at it because it will affect everyone that lives in Belize City, it may even affect the prices at the gate and I can confirm that the discrepancy is on the square footage that will be used."

"Apex is saying we should be only tax for our offices and they've put their arguments forward. The technical people at the city council are looking at what the law stipulates, so again, I want to stress it's a hybrid. It's not what we are used to before. The law did not take that into consideration when it was written up years ago. May be time that that may be looked at, but that is not a decision that I can make and I am sure I have full confidence in the board that they will something forward that will be mutually benefit to both parties."

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