And today in the Senate - the government side was proudly boasting of the agreement it had re-negotiated with The Nature Conservancy, known as TNC, and Re: Wild to develop the Maya Forest Corridor Initiative. As we have reported, TNC committed to the government that they would purchase 260 thousand acres of land in northern Belize from private landowners. The plan was that this purchased land would then be turned into a protected area with a pristine forest canopy.
Sounds like a great plan, but, a few months ago in that very same Senate chamber, the PUP said that the Barrow Government had run a serious red light when it gave TNC a 50-year tax break, along with rights to the carbon credits.
The PUP re-negotiated to get back that land tax - levied at a discount - and the same Senator who blew the whistle on the UDP deal, today beat his chest over his government's new deal. Let's just say the other side was not impressed:
Hon. Eamon Courtenay, Leader of Government Business
"It has been now re-negotiated and a supplemental agreement has been signed by the government of Belize in which as the motion indicates. We have insisted that land tax be applied and paid and that the carbon rights are for the government of Belize."
Hon. Michael Peyrefitte, Leader of Opposition Business
"In Belize they say you know one of the most difficult thing fi do da eat yoh vomit. It's not a pleasant thing to do, but it is very magnanimous of the P.U.P. and especially Senator Courtenay to be willing to eat his vomit for the benefit of the country. He did recall, I mean who can forget, pronouncements were wild and passionate. He was busting something and he was revealing some great act of treason by the U.D.P. when he found this TNC agreement that gives essentially value to the country for conservation. Now if you are telling us as the PUP that you're taking something that we started, because this start with UDP you know, if you're taking something that we started and you feel like you need to finetuned it, touch it up a little bit, making it even better, mein, kudos to you. Congratulations to you, if you are able to do that, but don't come to this national assembly, blast your colleagues, blast an agreement that we entered into, only to have you come back a couple months later and come to this national assembly like it's the greatest thing since slice bread. Because they know that many of the things we did when we were in government were on extremely high value. You see them opening schools now and opening buildings - it's the UDP who built those things and nothing wrong with that. But at least show some respect and some appreciation for what we did."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay, Leader of Government Business
"The leader of government business said that I must swallow my vomit, I will repeat that what's he said. He should hang his head in shame. The United Democratic Party government as I said on the previous occasion and I will repeat until thy kingdom come, sold out to the TNC and Rewild under the agreement and that is why we entered into negotiations to re-negotiate them in the interest of the Belizean people and we make no apology for that."
Hon. Christopher Coye, P.U.P. Senator
"To be honest we have to thank the UDP administration for not understanding the law. They didn't understand the land tax act and they didn't understand the law on carbon credits. So that was what in fact provided us with the leverage to negotiate. You have unenforceable provisions in this agreement."
Hon. Osmany Salas, NGO Senator
"Both motions state that the conservation partners agreed among other things that, and I quote from the motion that land taxes shall apply to the conservation lands. This one really stunned me and I could imagine that was another hard pill to swallow among the conservation partners. Let's just think about it: for land taxes to apply for land that was held in trust for the government and people of Belize, it should really perplex the mind. That is as if government is charging land taxes to itself for land that it owns. Its true: the conservation lands in question are not public lands per say, but they are
not private lands either. They are held in trust for the government and people of Belize. So in my opinion charging land taxes on such conservation trust properties sets a bad precedence. So, on top of the millions of dollars that these partners have to raise on an annual basis, now they have to raise so much more to pay` land taxes year to year."
Hon. Darrel Bradley, UDP Senator
"If the lands are used for trust purposes and if there is a public benefit for that, there is a recognition in relation to the tax credits, the land tax abatements and so forth and those things have value in any debate. We are not the government and the government is responsible for negotiating those agreements, but that argument is very valid and it should be recognized."
Hon. Christopher Coye, P.U.P. Senator
"In the original agreement what was agreed first in terms of the land tax, was full waiver, zero for 50 years. Well, as Senator Cal spoke to what we re-negotiated will generate 20 million dollars over 50 years. I don't know who can complain about that for 20 million dollars to come to the government and people of Belize."
Hon. Eamon Courtenay, Leader of Government Business
"It's important that we be clear on this matter. TNC, ReWild and the government issued a press release. TNC and ReWild made no complaint. TNC and ReWild did not criticize the government. TNC and ReWild praised the government of Belize."
