The House of Representative’s Budget Debate for the year 2019 began on Monday, March 25, 2019, in the Chambers of the National Assembly Building, Belmopan. The meeting began at 10:24 A.M. The days agenda consisted of the following:
BILLS INTRODUCED
- Tax Administration and Procedure Bill, 2019.
Bill for an Act to establish the Domestic Tax Department, to facilitate the official and effective administration and collection of domestic taxes, to provide for tax procedures, to provide civil and criminal penalties for violating tax laws; and to provide for connected and incidental matters.
- Customs and Excise Duties (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
Bill for an Act to amend the Customs and Excise Duties Act, Chapter 48 of the Substantive Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2011; to implement the fifth and sixth phase of reduction of duties in accordance with the Economic Partnership Agreement; and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
- Customs Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
Bill for an Act to amend the Customs Regulation Act, Chapter 49 of the Substantive Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2011; to facilitate the provision of advance information relating to passengers and cargo of a conveyance; to share the information with other States with a view to identifying the passengers and cargo that may pose risks to security while facilitating Trade through Electronic Data Interchange; and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
Shortly after, the debate on the General Revenue Appropriation (2019/2020) Bill, 2019, began. Many Members got a chance to do their presentation on the Bill. The meeting was suspended at 5:42 p.m., and scheduled to resume at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, March 26, 2019. The Honourable Gaspar Vega and the Honourable Patrick Faber were absent from the meeting.
On Tuesday, March 26, 2019, the House of Representatives resumed with the debate on the General Revenue Appropriation (2019/2020) Bill, 2019, allowing the other Members to do their presentation. At the end of all presentation, the House resolved their selves into a Committee of Supply, and visitors in the gallery were asked to leave for a short while. The House then resumed with the third reading of the General Revenue Appropriation (2019/2020) Bill, 2019. The below Motions were adopted and Bill was passed. However the Inter-American Development Bank Multilateral Investment Fund III Motion, 2019, was referred to the Finance and Economic Development Committee for examination, consideration and report.
MOTIONS
- Official Charities Fund Motion, 2019.
- Adoption of the Report from the Ombudsman Reports Committee on The Eighteenth Annual Report of the Ombudsman of Belize for the Year Ending 2018.
BILL PASSED
- Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (Amendment) Bill, 2019;
There was also a Private Members Bill presented by the Honourable Kareem Musa, Petition to the Honourable House of Representatives to give support to a Private Members Bill entitle a Bill for an Act to amend the Representation of the People Act, 2019. However a division was called by the Honourable Kareem Musa which resulted in 11 yes, 16 noes, and 3 absent.
Absent at the Meeting were the Honourable Gaspar Vega and the Honourable Florencio Marin Jr.
The meeting was adjourned at 11:09 P.M.