But while PM was content with the decision to send sugar to the Big Creek Port, he did concede that they needed to find a way to help the stevedores who would be incurring losses.
However, this is not what the Minister of Agriculture said last week. He said that the stevedores simply have to find another job. A PUP supporter took to Facebook to condemn this statement, demanding that Mai apologize to the stevedores.
But the PM doesn't think his intentions were wrong and he also doesn't think that it matters that the majority of the stevedores are black men living on the Southside. He said it's strictly business and the stevedores must change with the times.
Jules Vasquez:
"According to the social media presence known as Norris Sandra, Jose Mai needs to apologize for being so insensitive to the stevedores and saying, unu need fi find another kind of work."
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Again he's entitled to his opinion."
Jules Vasquez:
"You don't think Jose Mai needs to apologize?"
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I don't think Jose or Minister Mai in any way was insensitive, he could've found a better way to say it, probably yes, but I don't think he was being malicious in what he was saying but what he was saying was that 65% of what was being paid to the stevedores, the farmers have to pay it and it is unfair because the cane farmers are going through probably an even more difficult time that the stevedores."
Courtney Menzies:
"Sir but the stevedores are a section of black, poor people in the southside Belize City who keep crime off the street by allowing other poor, black people who are looking for a job a little hustle here and there. Does this not concern you, yes the cane farmers are suffering, but the stevedores, inevitably that leads to crime, is this not a concern for you?"
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"So does that mean that if the cane farmers don't make money they should go into a life of crime? And I don't see the stevedores as being black, I see them as being Belizeans and any Belizean should have the ability and opportunity to be a stevedore. Anybody should be able to be a stevedore. So it's not up to black people, it's the stevedores, and yes they're going through a difficult time, times are changing, technology is changing, if for instance, and I think we do have a responsibility as a government to be able to reach out to the stevedores and work with them and see what we can do to be able to help them to be able to make the necessary changes that has to be done because technology, efficiency is making some of their work not as demanding as what it was before."
