Following the statement by the independent senators, the social partner sectors they represent issued their own. This includes the BCCI, the NTUCB, the Council of Churches, and the Belize Network of NGOs.
They expressed "strong disapproval and alarm" following the decision by the BTL Board of Directors to acquire Speednet. The release says, quote, "Since January 2026, the Social Partners have repeatedly warned against hasty consolidation in Belize's telecommunications sector... The social partners maintain that proceeding with a transaction of this magnitude without resolving these core issues demonstrates a complete disregard for the public interest and the rule of law. Today's approval by the BTL Board ignores significant, unaddressed legal and regulatory concerns." End quote.
They specifically point to the section of the Telecommunications Act that forbids agreements that fundamentally lessen competition. They are now calling on the PUC to fulfill its statutory mandate and determine whether the proposed transaction complies with the Telecoms Act before it proceeds.
We did reach out to the PUC which said, quote, "The PUC has not yet made a decision regarding the proposed acquisition. The matter remains under the Commission's consideration, and the final decision rests with the Commission. Once a decision has been made, it will be communicated through the appropriate channels."
