And ASR/BSI's profitability or - as supporters would say - it's viability was much debated in the House of Representatives on Friday when the SUGAR INDUSTRY AND COGENERATION PROJECT (AMENDMENT) BILL, 2025 was presented.
It will grant wide tax exemptions for 10 years starting October first 2025, basically renting the first 2012 incentive package given by the then ruling UDP.
At that time the PUP opposed it - and this time the shoe is on the other foot. Here's how it went in Friday's Debate:
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Can I remind this House, Mr. Speaker, that on March what? On what day of March? March the twelfth, the people in the North voted overwhelmingly for the People's United Party. We never win by a little bit, you know."
"Mr. Speaker, we won by huge matches, margins that were historic. And now you will come and tell me about how they're not happy. Of course, you have one or two people that are not happy, and that's understandable."
"When there was the drought, 2018-2019, that hit the North, probably one of the worst droughts in recent history, that farmers literally lost millions of dollars because of the dry. It was the same member from Corozal North, and the then Prime Minister, Honorable Dean Barrow, said that they were going to help the cane farmers of the North."
"That's what they said. Leader of the opposition, do you know how much your government gave them? They gave them zero, not a single dollar to help them. And then you come here like a hypocrite to talk about we not doing anything?"
"Look at the Petro Caribe money...."
Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"Mr. Speaker, on a point of order."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"What is the point of order?"
Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"On a point of order."
House Speaker
"What is the point of order?"
Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"Parliamentary language, Mr. Speaker."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Hypocrisy is not parliamentary language."
Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"Parliamentary language. You're not going to refer to me as a hypocrite in this house, Mr. Speaker. I am not."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"Well, let the record speak."
Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"I am not."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"We negotiated, I think it's with the GCF, a grant $50 million. We've already started to implement. That $50 million is going to be used with the cane farmers. And then you come and tell me, we do nothing. What is wrong with you?"
