By Horace Palacio: Look at the numbers and ask yourself a simple question.
Why is Belize paying so much more for fuel than the rest of Central America?
Panama around $3.17 per gallon.
Honduras around $3.46.
Guatemala around $3.78.
Even Costa Rica, one of the highest, around $4.53.
And Belize?
We are paying $13 to $14 Belize dollars per gallon, which is roughly $6.50 to $7 USD.
That is not just higher.
That is significantly higher.
So what is really going on?
Because it cannot just be global oil prices.
All these countries buy from the same global market. They are affected by the same wars, the same supply chains, the same volatility.
Yet Belizeans are paying far more.
That means the difference is not global.
The difference is local.
Taxes.
Duties.
Markups.
Inefficiencies.
That is where the real story is.
In Belize, fuel is heavily layered with costs before it even reaches the pump. Import duties, environmental taxes, GST, and other fees all stack up. By the time it gets to the consumer, the price is inflated far beyond the base cost.
And here is the problem.
Fuel is not a luxury.
It is the backbone of the economy.
When fuel is expensive
everything becomes expensive
Food.
Transportation.
Construction.
Electricity.
So when Belize has some of the highest fuel prices in the region, it is not just a fuel issue.
It is a cost of living crisis.
It means Belizean businesses are less competitive.
It means families have less disposable income.
It means inflation stays high.
And it raises a serious question.
Why are we accepting this?
Other countries actively manage fuel costs to protect their economies. They reduce taxes when global prices rise. They regulate margins. They treat fuel as a strategic issue.
Belize does not act with the same urgency.
And that is why Belizeans continue to pay more.
This is not sustainable.
A country cannot grow if the cost of doing everything is high from the start.
If Belize is serious about development, it must address this directly.
Reduce the tax burden on fuel.
Increase transparency in pricing.
Improve efficiency in supply chains.
Because right now, Belizeans are paying a premium simply to function.
And no country can move forward when its people are constantly being held back by basic costs.
The post Why fuel in Belize is so much higher than Central America appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Horace Palacio: Look at the numbers and ask yourself a simple question. Why is Belize paying so much more for fuel than the rest of Central America? Panama around $3.17 per gallon. Honduras around $3.46. Guatemala around $3.78. Even Costa Rica, one of the highest, around $4.53. And Belize? We are paying $13 to
The post Why fuel in Belize is so much higher than Central America appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
