Does Anwar Barrow Have Interest in Southern Renewable Energy?

Dean Barrow

Two other companies which did make the cut became the subject of a testy exchange this afternoon. The first is SS Energy Limited, owned by the Guatemalan based Santander Group which operates Green Tropics in Belize. The second is Southern Renewable Energy. The Prime Minister’s son Anwar allegedly has an interest in that company. Barrow was quite clear that he is not concerned about the first case, and even if the allegation in the second case is true, he’s not concerned either.

Reporter

“There is a Guatemalan company; well the parent company is Green Tropics. Are you concerned that we would even consider a Guatemalan company in our energy sector?”

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“Not at all, not at all. Listen…Green Tropics; some people in the media make it appear as though energy will be produced in Guatemala and transmitted to us or so. Green Tropics is a company that is here in Belize; that has helped us to diversify the sugar industry in terms of the geographic location by going ahead planting and building full speed now the second mill in this country for sugar. It is biomass as a consequence of the grinding of sugar that they will use to convert to energy in the same way that BELCOGEN is doing to sell to the grid. So that’s right here. There is nothing coming from Guatemala.  And I don’t care if Green Tropics is cared by Guatemala…I don’t care. They are here in Belize. They fool around? They fool around, you know what would happen? National security interest? Let me not get carried away. The company is here…anybody had anything say when they came and did the investment? Anybody had anything to say about the construction of the factory, about the planting of cane? Anybody has anything to say about the scores and scores of Belizeans that are being employed even now by that company? Sorry sir, I don’t hold to that view at all. I think we can take our nationalism too far and become utterly misguided. This is a company that is here; that has been doing business for a while. The energy will in fact be, as I said, the conversion of the biomass to energy will be done here in country—a process over which we clearly have control. No fears on that sir.”

Reporter

“Can you say categorically if your son, Anwar Barrow, has any relation with Southern Renewable Energy?”

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“I…”

Reporter

“I know I’ve seen him attending some of the meetings at the PUC and reports are…”

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“I don’t know and I wouldn’t be surprise. And what would be the difficulty with that?”

Reporter

“Well he is your son.”

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“You can ask the question just like that…”

Reporter

“No, no, no. I am very straight up—respectful, but straight up. There is three proposals from Southern Renewable Energy that have made it in the top five. Just for the record…”

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“I’ve told you about the utterly transparent evaluation process—not necessarily steered, but certainly guided or assisted by the international organization. My son is completely entitled to pursue his business interests as long as there is no conflict of interest in terms of my office and government.”