Chamber Issues Release on Sugar Cane Industry

Late this evening, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry issued a release in respect of the impasse in the sugar industry involving a proposal by B.S.I./A.S.R. to bypass the elected Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association and to deal directly with farmers. As it stands tonight, the association has given the Sugar Industry Control Board until this Friday to break the impasse. Failure of this will lead to a protest. But in essence, the Chamber is supporting the B.S.I./A.S.R. proposal  on the grounds that the constitution safeguards the fundamental right of Freedom of Association, and that the courts have consistently upheld this right. Therefore, says the Chamber, each and every cane farmer has a constitutional right to negotiate on his own behalf. The chamber also warns that if Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) fails, the public will bear the full burden of subsidizing, by using taxpayer funds and employee contributions at the Social Security Board, to support and grow Belize.