Tour operators who did not have the time or opportunity to apply for the fuel subsidy program have until Friday, May 13th, after the deadline was extended. The fuel subsidy program for eligible tour and tender operators is funded by the Government of Belize (GOB) and the Belize Tourism Board (BTB). Both have contributed $1.5 million to fund the program, which assists for up to six months. Applications are submitted by clicking here.
The original deadline was April 29th, but it was extended to allow more eligible tour and tender operators to apply. Submissions do not guarantee applicants’ approval for the fuel subsidy. According to GOB and BTB, information submitted via the application is a guide to vetting the final decision. Successful applicants will be notified. In addition, applicants are assured that their information is treated with the highest level of confidentiality.
The subsidy program was introduced to help those most affected by the uncontrollable increase in fuel prices, which saw regular gasoline and diesel prices nearing $14 per gallon. In places like San Pedro Town, Ambergris, regular gasoline and diesel are the most commonly used fuels. With the ongoing increase in fuel prices, there was a concern that tour operators would be forced to increase their services and affect the tourism industry.
The government announced that it reduced the excise tax on regular and diesel to stabilize the fuel prices. However, to help those eligible operators in the tourism industry who are absorbing the impact of fuel inflation, they are reminded that applications submitted after May 13th will not be accepted. Therefore, tour operators are urged to apply to see if they qualify for the subsidy.
