UDP Votes in Belize depend on the BUTANE price issue!

small butane tank
BIG SQUABBLE FROM BUTANE IMPORTER OLIGARCHS

BNE over in Spanish Lookout can sell their homemade BUTANE at $44 less per 100 lb tank, than the importers of butane can. Of course the tax man of government has to chime in yet and take a piece of the action.
In the meantime, the importers of BUTANE are trying to get government to protect their turf and market share, threatening delivery strikes. I guess that argument will depend on how much these importers donated to the political party during the election campaign last time around.
From the public voter viewpoint in the CAYO DISTRICT, it is a no brainer. ANY reduction in price of butane is advantageous to the voters of the district. The government really has no choice, because the voters will remember what they do, or did, over this BUTANE issue come the next election.
It has been argued on the Belize culture listserve that the importers can buy their butane from BNE the local producer if they so want at wholesale prices, or distributor franchise prices.
Now we the VOTERS wait and see how the political flak falls out in Western Belize.
In the meantime, more pickup trucks are converting from gasoline to tanks of butane in the rear pan of their pickup trucks.