Security Tax Makes No Sense Says Villeda

Public Feedback on the Security Tax

The drug traffickers do not enter through Customers, and so they will not have the pleasure of enjoying those sophisticated systems that would be installed at all the Customs offices in Honduras. The government is making a mistake, and it is creating animosity toward the political class.

Honduras Weekly
Liberal Party presidential candidate Mauricio Villeda yesterday called the proposed new "security tax" levied on air travelers "an act of corruption in Honduras". Scheduled to take effect within the next three months, the US$34 tax secretly passed by Congress on December 14, 2011, would reportedly pay for a sophisticated biometric identification system -- installed and operated by Securiport LLC of Washington, DC. The system, which would monitor the movement of people in and out Honduras at all official air, land, and sea ports, aims to improve security by tracking suspected criminals, drug traffickers, and other people considered dangerous. But according to Mr. Villeda, the logic is flawed.

"[The tax] doesn't make sense because these kind of criminals do not go through Customs to enter the country. Drug traffickers don't enter through Customs, but rather in small planes which land in Honduras. They are never caught. All you find are the remains of the burned planes, without the drugs," argued Mr. Villeda. "The drug traffickers do not enter through Customers, and so they will not have the pleasure of enjoying those sophisticated systems that would be installed at all the Customs offices in Honduras. The government is making a mistake, and it is creating animosity toward the political class."

With regard to the manner in which the sole-source contract to Securiport was awarded, Mr. Villeda, who is an attorney, stressed, "We are not going to allow the law dealing with contract award procedures to be violated or pretend that it doesn't exist. We are going to demand transparency and openness for these type of contracts the government is signing with the North American company, Securiport."

Mr. Villeda confirmed that he has information that ministers within the Lobo administration were instructed to avoid making references to the Securiport contract, approved by President Lobo on March 24, 2011, and signed by Minister of Interior Áfrico Madrid on May 9, 2011. "That is being opaque... these are grey situations," said Mr. Villeda. (1/9/12) (photo of Mauricio Villeda courtesy Internet)