And another controversial public contract is the one awarded by the city council to a Lebanese engineering firm named Turba Ltd.
They will provide supervision for the construction of the Belcan bridge - a project being spearheaded by the Belize City Council.
It's the first time the contract for any bridge has been taken away from the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and handed to a municipal body. And both the Minster and the Chief engineer have publicly expressed misgivings about it.
We asked the PM today if it has caused a rift with the Infrastructure Minister:
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I don't know where you get this kind of stuff. There's, that, there's an issue with the, the minister Espat and myself, there's none. There's none. I mean, like, with every in every cabinet, we have differences and that's that's normal for us to be able to to have a what was what is it a problem, a rift."
"Maybe it's in your mind. I do not have a rift with minister Espat and I think that minister Espat was very careful that he explained his position when it came to that."
"I'm just starting to get the information. Because I was not involved in any of this matter. Because it moved from from a loan to a to a grant. Then the Ministry of Economic Transformation took over. And started to work directly with the City Council. It does not mean that the Ministry of Infrastructure Development is not going to be involved. Every project that this government takes on, by law and by policy, the Ministry of Economic, of MIDH has to be involved. So they will be involved."
"What is the end here? It is for us to be able to build a bridge, to be able to provide the necessary transportation connections for people. And that's exactly what we are doing."
Jules Vasquez
"But at what cost will the bridge be built?"
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"It is going to be at the very cost that the MIDH, they have an estimate. I do not know the details, but I can tell you that is is going to be above board. There's going to be a bidding process and, and so forth. I do not want to go into the details about this whole why there was another how-it-name, but I want to leave it as that."
Jules Vasquez
"Are you concerned about intellectual property theft, the allegation thereof."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Well, I don't understand. If I pay you to do a job for me to do my, my plans for my house, that's my plan is not yours. And I think I feel that I can do as I wish. But maybe these intellectuals look differently, and that's up to them. But I know that the individuals have been paid for a job."
