We also asked Prime Minister Briceno about that strongly-worded letter that the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association wrote him one week ago. They scolded him for various perceived infractions, including taking the side of ASR/BSI by seeming to say that the mill would be deprived of 20 million dollars in value with the BSCFA's proposed revenue sharing formula.
You saw his agriculture Minister, Jose Mai, leap to his defense yesterday to insist that the BSCFA misinterpreted his comments.
And with all that blowback, the Prime Minister casually claimed that he hadn't even seen the BSCFA letter yet:
Cherisse Halsall
"Sir have you had a chance to review the letter from the BSCFA, what is your immediate reaction to their concerns?"
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"No, I have not reviewed their last letter, but as I said it is something that needs to be addressed."
Cherisse Halsall
"They have interpreted your comments on the matter to mean that you have accepted ASI/BSR's position that their profit-sharing proposal would deprive the millers of 20 million dollars in value, would you care to clarify those remarks from last week?"
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I don't know why they are making an issue on that because I have been very clear and I've said it to them in many instances. No company is going to give up 20 million dollars. I mean obviously it's; you're driving them to bankruptcy and I have been saying it over and over. We need the millers. We need farmers. We need the farmers as much as we need the millers, one can't do without the other. The point is that this whole process, this whole issue started when the association. The BSCFA was questioning what was being charged as what you call to come to the next value and that charge was coming up to what? I think around 30 million dollars and they were, they felt, that BSI was not totally transparent to them when it comes to those charges and so they were asking for the right to audit and BSI was resisting, they are saying well here are my completed reports. Your audited reports are one thing but when you see the documentary evidence to back that report then you know what is there and that is what they wanted and BSI was resisting for some time. Now, BSI has said now I am prepared to give you the right to audit and, um, the BSCFA are saying no we want now a totally different agreement as to the revenue sharing, and that is fine if that is what they want, and we are encouraging. To me what is important is for them to sit around the table and to be able to discuss to find a way how to settle this."
