And while the PM didn't pull Musa aside during the last Cabinet Meeting, they did meet with the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association. According to Briceno, the other members of the Cabinet who aren't Orange Walkenos like him needed to be better briefed on the sugar problem. However, he added that the role of the cabinet cannot be as a decision maker in their commercial arrangements, they can only hear out both sides.
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"The Cabinet felt that it was important for us to listen to both sides. This is an ongoing problem with the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association and signing an agreement with BSI and it is something that has gone for way too long so we felt as a Cabinet it would be important to invite both parties and to make a presentation so we could get a better in depth understanding. A few of us have a fairly good understanding of it but most of the Cabinet don't. I am from the sugar belt so obviously it is in my interest to keep hands on that. They made a presentation I think they made some good point on how is it that they can have, they believe, a more fair agreement that would then seek to ensure that they get a fair share. They believe that there are certain charges that BSI is making that they believe is unjustified or that they need to be done differently so we listened and we asked questions, but it was not for us to make any kind of decision. Now we are going to hear the next side from BSI and hear what is their position with these negotiations. It is important to point out that we cannot legislate away this issue between these two organizations because both groups are private entities. If we are to legislate in favor of the farmers, BSI is going to take us to court, and if we were to do differently, the cane farmers are going to take us to court. So all we can do is to try to be an honest broker, try to find how we can compromise from both sides and how is it that we can have a more fairer and transparent agreement that can benefit both sides. As I tell everybody, we cannot have a sugar industry without the cane farmers and we cannot have a sugar industry without the factory, both of them play a critical role for us to have a successful and profitable sugar industry."
