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And even though the Minister of New Growth Industries has publicly declared his excitement for a seaweed industry, he hasn't even visited the women who form the association, or their seaweed farms. Today he told us that while he hasn't been directly involved, Beltraide has been, but that he understands the need for the government to engage further. He added that he hopes more can be done in the new fiscal year.
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"It is something I do need to have a visit as minister but I know that Beltraide has been behind the seaweed production. As you know, I am merely the Minister of New Growth Industries, there's an entire tea over at Beltraide that looks after these matters but I certainly look forward to meeting with the seaweed growers in Placencia, they've been doing great things, I think the government needs to assist them in terms of the marketing of their product and to add value because at the end of the day, what they're producing is the raw, very valuable seaweed product but we need to add value to that. I mention time and time again going to the US and you purchase for example a face mask cream you would see that it is made from seaweed that was farmed in Belize, why is it that we cannot make that face mask? So that is going to be our focus and I am pleased to saw that this year for the first time our ministry will be getting a very small budget, under $500,000 and so we'll be able to equip ourselves with a proper staff and then of course to address all of these issues and to assist these new growth industries in the country."
Reporter:
"Why are you just getting the budget after three years?"
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
"As I had mentioned previously, the first three years, one of the primary focuses of the ministry was to introduce cannabis legislation. Now cannabis legislation, I'm an attorney, my CEO was an attorney and so we were able to work with the AG's ministry in creating the structure and the legislation in order to be the driving force behind the cannabis industry, we took it all the way to the House, it got passed by the House and Senate, something that I am still very proud of even though we are awaiting a referendum on that but since then, there have been so many great ideas coming from the public, new industries that are coming out which normally would fall under any one of the existing ministries like agriculture, like the economic development portfolio but a lot of them are saying, if we can fall under New Growth Industries, that would be great and have a full focused industry on these new emerging markets."
