We also spoke with the BTL Chairman Mark Lizarraga, after he finished his presentation to Cabinet. But while he met with the ministers and answered their concerns, some of the social partners, as well as the opposition and the independent media have called for his resignation. What does he think about that? Here's what he told us.
Mark Lizarraga, Chairman - BTL Board
"Well it entailed all the reasons that we thought that we needed to extend our ability to raise revenue through efficiency. The BTL is an essential services provider and we have a tremendous responsibility to ensure that our system, our digital infrastructure remains robust, it grows, keeps up with the technology because of the role that it plays in our economy."
"We can only do this effectively by cutting out the needless duplication in the industry, by cutting out the waste, by cutting out all that we don't need and using the capacity that we already have. It's not that we have to grow that capacity, it's that we have the capacity already."
"So why not use it? Remember BTL is owned by the people of Belize, so any benefits through this proposed consolidation would bring benefits to the people of Belize as the owners, and it would bring benefits to the people of Belize through services."
Reporter
"We know the social partners have been meeting, series of meetings over the last week and into this week. One of those things coming out of that meeting is for you to resign from BTL. Are you prepared to resign if pressured by the social partners?"
Mark Lizarraga, Chairman - BTL Board
"I'm not going to answer that question. Okay? I'm not going to go there. I think the Prime Minister appointed me and I think the Prime Minister can remove me. I sit at the pleasure of the Prime Minister."
"So if the Prime Minister thinks that I'm not doing his job, that's something for him, not for the social partners."
Reporter
"And do you believe that it was received well, your message to the cabinet today?"
Mark Lizarraga, Chairman - BTL Board
"Absolutely. I think it was received very well. As I said, it was a very engaging two hours or two hours plus. And we tried to answer every concern that they had. At the end of the day, the next decisions will be policy-oriented, right?"
"I mean, we came with the responsibility as BTL directors, as BTL executives, as to what we think would bring efficiency to the market space. Now the policymakers have to decide what the next steps are."
Reporter
"What were some major concerns that the Cabinet had?"
Mark Lizarraga, Chairman - BTL Board
"I think they're varied and I think you know all of them. So I won't go into a repeat at that time. I'm quite tired to be honest with you. It's been very very intense."
We note that Lizarraga is a former social partner Senator.
He went on to explain that in order for BTL to maintain efficiency, it has to keep making big investments - like Speednet. He said that if those investments aren't made, other areas will feel the pinch.
Mark Lizarraga, Chairman - BTL Board
"As an essential service provider and the role we are asked to play in our digital transformation going forward, we need money, lots of money. And the only way we're going to be able to have that money is through efficiency."
"Through efficiency so that we can protect and provide the services at 99.99% of the time and put in the redundancies, the duplication that we already have and strengthen those redundancies. Technology have a very short lifespan and they're very expensive and we have a small population so it don't make sense for us to waste because it robs us of the ability to continue to spread our services throughout the country, right? To expand our services, to lower prices, which by the way, we've made a commitment to not raise prices for the next two years and to look at certainly how the consumers can benefit either through more offerings or lower prices."
"So for us to continue with the responsibility that we have in this digital age, if we want to transform our country digitally because of the efficiencies that this digital transformation will bring, we have to be able to invest and invest in a very expensive industry."
"So if we don't have the efficiencies, something will have to give either dividends, either benefits, either maintenance to our existing infrastructure or lower prices. And we have a responsibility to take care of the investors who are the people of Belize, the Social Security Board and the small investors."
"We have a responsibility to our employees. We have a responsibility to our assets, right? Our buildings, our infrastructure. And we have a responsibility to the consumers who are our owners. And remember, through all of this inflation and all of this, what do you call it, the supply chain issues and the increase in prices, we're the only ones that lowered our prices."
"People don't see that. People don't see the benefits they've they've received."
