Arguing that the measure is attached to the law, the Tax Administration has defended its right to take injunctive measures such as seizing bank accounts in order to recover taxes that companies have stopped paying.

Prensalibre.com reports that "... exporters of coffee and cardamom expressed concern about the demands of the Tax Administration (SAT) as this will affect companies' performance."

Abel Cruz, Mayor of Collection and Management at the SAT, explained that "... Article 93 of the Tax Code authorizes information to be demanded of taxpayers within three days and when the SAT establishes a prima facie case, legal measures are taken."

Mariano Ventura, director of the Association of Coffee Exporters (Adec), said   "... There is doubt about how the law is to be interpreted. He added that largest coffee exporters in Guatemala are foreign investment firms and members of large corporations who are seeing that the situation in the country is unstable in the legal terms."

Source: prensalibre.com

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