The press also asked him about his administration's updated plan for their Sugar Industry (Amendment) Bill of 2021.
That's the draft legislation that passed in the House of Representatives but was voted down in the Senate by the representatives of the Social Partners and the Opposition Party.
Tthat's the controversial bill that contemplates giving the Minister of Agriculture a very important jurisdiction into the affairs of the 4 Cane Farming Associations.
But now it's stuck in the senate - and here's what the Prime Minister had to say when the press brought up this piece of Government business:
Reporter
"My understanding is that the section where empowers the minister will be completely removed."
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Because of the urgency of what we are trying to accomplish. What is it that we are trying to accomplish? Simply that there can be a mechanism to ensure that all associations comply with the law. We have one association in particular in Corozal that has not had an annual general meeting and election of their directors since 2016 and because some members have been questioning them, they have been kicked out of the association. And then we have the other two associations which I feel strangely, they are the ones that have already signed agreements with B.S.I. that have not held their elections. They are saying that because of COVID protocols, but these associations, some of their branches only have twenty members, so why is it that they can't have their elections? They need to have their elections. Now is the Ministry of Agriculture maybe overreaching in the sense of giving the ultimate power to the minister? Well that's debatable and as I said in the House that if that is an issue, then we can look at it and see how to take it off completely. And the Minister of Agriculture has already said if that is an issue, I have no problem in removing that clause."
Reporter
"It will be done and then taken back to the senate and then passed there and that issue ends there?"
Hon. John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Quite likely yes, but that still does not address the crisis that we have where we have some associations that are still not holding elections and kicking out these members and now these members have to belong to an association to be able to deliver. So that is the problem. Probably penalties, but I don't know if they exist in the law and also these members can't afford a good lawyer to go to court and that is why the ministry of agriculture felt that maybe if the minister could be the ultimate arbitrar to say that if they do not get satisfaction from the association or the Belize sugar board, then they believe they can go now to the ministry of agriculture to the minister, to then say yes, we need to call elections. It has nothing to do that the minister would be able to say who he can put there. It's simply for him or her to be able to say associations A, B,C you have not held your elections as prescribed under your articles of association so now we are saying we are now going to set a date to call election. Simply that's all we are trying to do."
