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A series of 3 loan motions were passed in the Senate today, which authorizes the Barrow Administration to borrow a total of 148 million Belize dollars, to execute important government projects. 

The first motion for a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank for a project to strengthen the country’s tax administration. The Government will borrow 28 million dollars to improve the abilities of the newly amalgamated income and GST departments, which is now known as the Belize Tax Service. The goal is to improve the capacities of these tax administrators so that the way they conduct business is more efficient, and therefore results in increased revenue collection.

During the Senate debate on this loan motion, Business Senator Mark Lizarraga had a rare congratulation for the Government:

Hon. Mark Lizarraga - Business Senator
"We're intending to increase the government's effectiveness in tax collection and modernizing through technology the infrastructure of this department aimed at improving tax administration, governance and its operational processes. And the business community supports, has been in fact championing and calling for this for a long time because when we have situations of inequity, where some sectors contribute and others do not, or some players and other players do not, it creates for a less than competitive business environment, the playing field is not levelled of course. It is a disincentive to investment and growth. So we certainly encourage and will support this motion. We are particularly pleased in that for the first time, we have some semblance of what this project will entail and I thank the government and congratulate the government (applause) - I thank those responsible for providing us with this document so that we have at least now, I can say to you the people who will pay back this 28 million dollars in one way shape or another. What it is we expect to get from the spending of this 28 million dollars, perhaps this is a first."

Hon. Osmany Salas - NGO Senator
"In terms of the purpose of this loan motion, we have the strong support of our NGO network and just to repeat what the purpose is. Increase the government's effectiveness in tax collection by modernizing technological infrastructure and improving tax administration governance and operational processes. We fully support that just as we supported the passing of the tax administration and procedure bill 2 months ago, which in effect establish the Belize Tax Service Department. There is a but, we have some questions. A main concern we have is what we see as the exorbitant amount. Today colleagues and president, we are being asked to approve almost 150 million Belize dollars in loans, almost 75 million US dollars. So, it is our responsibility to look critically at what has been sent to us and to ask the questions that needs to be asked."