And all this week, we've been following up on the situation with the situation on Mahogany Street. As we've reported 23 vendors have been directed by BEL to relocate by the end of the year or face a future without an electricity connection. Our understanding was that 23 vendors were affected. Most of those vendors operate in stalls - but we found one today that operates out of a huge concrete building. The problem is the building - formerly Malic's Store - may have been there even before the 115 KV line went up.
So we asked the current proprietor, what's he going to do now that's he's gotten the notice:.. Discount Supermarket sits beneath the 115 kv line on Mahogany Street and the proprietors of the store in this huge concrete structure have also gotten notice from BEL saying move by the end of this year - or go into the new one without electricity.
Jules Vasquez
"When you heard what the letter is about what was your reaction?"
Jun Yang Zhao, Owner - Discount Supermarket
"I feel bad when I see the letter; it says that I need to move. But I won't move."
Jun Yung Zhao is the proprietor - he's not the owner of the building but has been here for a year
Jun Yang Zhao, Owner - Discount Supermarket
"I can't move because I am only here for one year and there are so much money that in put in this building. I can't move that."
He says he pays two thousand dollars a month in light bills for his store and restaurant - and unless BEL pays him, he's not about to move:
Jun Yang Zhao, Owner - Discount Supermarket
"If they give me money I will move. I need the money."
Jules Vasquez
"Would something like this happen in China?"
Jun Yang Zhao, Owner - Discount Supermarket
"They will have to give me money."
Jules Vasquez
"Even in China?"
Jun Yang Zhao, Owner - Discount Supermarket
"Yes, have to."
But in Belize, the only "have to" is that he and 22 others "have to" move by the end of the year…
The Malic family still owns the building and they estimate that it went up before or around the same time as the 155 KV line in 1995….
