There was also a surprising motion that was brought to the House by the Minister responsible for Ports, Rodwell Ferguson.
It's called the Motion to Consider the Approval by the National Assembly of the Disposition of the Commerce Bight Port to Recological Systems Limited, 2021. Recological is the company that was given a 25-year lease to operate the Commerce Bight Port.
As viewers will remember, the company was put on blast last month by a Belizean businessman who insists that he was jilted out of his investment in it.
Well, Ports Minister Ferguson and the Briceno Government are insisting that the last-minute lease that the Barrow Administration granted to Recological before last year's change in government was improper. So, he brought a motion to the House for it to receive parliamentary approval, or in this case disapproval.
Here's the back and forth debate over this motion from the House:
Hon. Rodwell Ferguson- Minister of Public Utilities and Logistics
"And whereas, as the current Minister responsible for the Port, after conducting an internal inquiry, was only made aware that this lease was not carried before the National Assembly and I now wish to have the National Assembly resolve whether to approve the said lease. Now, therefore, be it reserved that the lease dated the 9th day of November 2020 of the Commerce Bight Port for 25 years for the sum of $5 thousand and 1% of it's gross revenue for the proceeding year to be approved or disapproved, copies of the lease and the valuation report are here to annex."
Hon. Patrick Faber- Leader of the Opposition
"We on this side of this house put to this honourable house that in fact this motion is completely baseless and ought not to be here on the agenda today. The Minister who is proposing this Bill, my friend from Stann Creek West, in the whereas clauses of this motion seems to indicate that the last administration neglected to bring it to this honourable house. Well, it is our position that it never needed to have come to this honourable house and I will explain why I say that. Apparently, according to their wherein clauses and I will look to those that they have indicated ought to have happened, firstly they say the Finance and Audit Reform Act prohibits...which includes the leasing of public assets in excess of $2 million dollars without approval of the National Assembly within one month of it's execution well madam speaker their read of the Finance and Audit Reform Act is incorrect. In fact if I am allowed to read what the Finance and Audit Act says, madam speaker with your permission. The Finance and Audit Act in section 2022, I believe. It says the government shall before disposing of any public assets with an aggregate value of above $2 million obtain the approval of the National Assembly to be signified by a resolution made in that behalf and published in the gazette. It is talking about disposing of assets not about leasing assets or renting assets."
Hon. John Briceno- Prime Minister
"In this case madam speaker this is a corrupt agreement the UDP did 2 days before the General Elections. Any way you tek it man. How can you justify leasing a port for 25 years at $5,000 a year? How could you justify that? Bwai this is corrupt. He claims that the Cabinet knows from 2018. Two years later, two days before the election they signed. Obviously, no wonder the country is in such bad shape. Two years you sign an agreement. Madam speaker, anyway you look at this, this is a corrupt agreement. Two days before the election they signed off an important asset, an expensive asset that may have a value of over $3 million. The actual market value is way beyond the $3 million. And you will tell me that 2 days before the election, hear who of all, Castro signed this thing knowing that the National Assembly has been dissolved and they can't bring it to pass it for resolution. It has to come to the House. By the way, in 25 years the Government will not have access to this thing man. And then you will go and give it to an ecological that has no history about managing a port."
After this matter was given full House consideration today, the PUP Majority voted for it to be canceled. We hope to speak with the management of Recological about this major development.
