BELIZE EXPORTERS COMPLAIN CORRUPTION KILLING ABILITIES!

REPORT ON EXPORT PRODUCERS MEETING IN THE HEARTLAND OF BELIZE

There was some encouragement in the newspapers this week, with various tales and articles of the investments being planned by the Belize UDP government into the productive agriculture sector. The meeting went over two hours at the round table. While the initial response to the UDP announcements were positive. The conclusions reached after two and a half hours, was that it will come to naught. Many reasons were given for a negative outlook. Three come to mind immediately, as I sit here at the computer.

1) The first issue was the cost of taking a container from the fenced gate at the port to the ship side by Luke Espat port authority monopoly. It was quoted as $500 usa, which must be paid in foreign exchange. There is no service offered for this fee. You do it yourself with your own truck. The lifting aboard is free if the freighter has cranes working, but there are add on fees, if the port has to do it. This was reported to the meeting.

2) There was the issue of exporting. Apparently if you deal in commodities in any volume, you have to have a license. Said license requires you raise you value added sales price to the buyer in the foreign country, a minimum of 25% to give to a bureaucrat, for the Cabinet Minister, who is reported to be a get rich quick Cabinet Minister. ( don't know who that is? ) We didn't discuss names. Due to political sensitivies.

3) Oil refinery producing diesel in Shipyard is not making money and probably will quit, it was said at the round table meeting. Prices quoted at $7 Bz a gallon for locally refined diesel and $4.50 if you buy imported Mexican diesel. The problems were explained to me, but I forget the technical details. Other than I vaguely remember something about an EXCISE TAX. Don't remember the details, as I'm getting old, and not to alarm anybody at the meeting, I didn't take any written notes. Plus the original price of crude was set at World Price and there was no TWO TIER system in place to give locals a better price for the original crude from BNE, or some associated front company, before doing the refining or something like that?

I DONT HAVE AN EMAIL ADDRESS FOR THE EDITOR OF THE BELIZE TIMES, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT SENDING THEM A COMPLIMENTARY COPY OF THESE BULLETINS ON DEVELOPMENT IN BELIZE. I LOOKED THIS MORNING BUT NO EMAIL WAS IN THE BELIZE TIMES NEWSPAPER.


One other item, when BELTRAIDE came up in the open export orientated discussion and I have no personal experience with Beltraide, other than they never answer any mails, or give a response; so personally I just gave them up as a useless political department for employment of political party relatives and hacks at taxpayer expense. I always hope my opinions are wrong.
Anyway, I did ask those who knew BELTRAIDE people; if I wanted help in finding a market for BELIZE ALPS chocolates confectionary, if they would be helpful to ask? I had read somewhere in political articles, or government propoganda, that was a function of BELTRAIDE. We don't have the internet service in our part of Santa Elena Town and have NEVER been able to get it. So a market, or exploring for a niche market for chocolate confectionaries is very difficult to find for us in the boondocks of Cayo District. The answer was rather an expression of negative disgust. Rather unanimous; of a useless bureaucratic albatross department. It was a relief to have my personal conclusions confirmed at the round table and know I was not alone in this opinion.