Construction workers strike in the Capital
This morning, construction workers in Belmopan dropped their shovels and hammers and picked up placards and banners to protest what they are calling the “political games” jeopardising their jobs. Over seventy-five workers of the Piccini Housing Project marched from the Development Finance Corporation to the Prime Minister’s office to the Belmopan City Hall. News 5’s Jacqueline Woods has the story.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
The protestors, mostly workers from the Belmopan Development Services Limited, say they are demonstrating against unfair treatment against their company that they allege may have them standing in the unemployment line very soon. In 1999, Belmopan Development Services Limited, paid the Reconstruction and Development Corporation, RECONDEV, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars for forty acres of property to start the Piccini Housing Project. Today, Earl Swasey, the project’s supervisor, says the work has been seriously hampered by what he calls political games being played by the government, City Hall, Development Corporation of Belize, Belize Electricity Limited and the Belize Water Services Limited. Swasey says when the land transaction was done, the agreement signed had specific conditions attached to it.
Earl Swasey, Supervisor, Piccini Housing Project
“We would have to put streets, we would have to put drains, we would have to put all those things and then government would be the one to put light, water and sewer. Up to this point, a little has been done, and that’s the reason why some of our signs might be saying don’t play politics with us.”
The project has not only been plagued by infrastructural problems, but Swasey says they have had a difficult time securing Belizean homeowners because he alleges the Development Finance Corporation refuses to give loans for the Piccini Housing Project, unlike what’s taking place with the Cohune Walk Project in Belmopan.
Earl Swasey
“Their excuse is that we have to get things organised and we don’t have enough financing and we’re looking at financing right now. But that is not the real reason. They are trying to hamper the project because this project is a threat to them. DFC has paid millions of dollars for houses that people don’t want to buy and everybody is trying to buy our houses because they are cheaper and better. So, they are trying to see what they can do to sabotage the project so that our houses don’t sell.
From January this has been going on and I gave thirty-six letters of recommendations to DFC for people for loans, and they ignore those people and they gave to foreigners. People come from the United States and took five days and they get house. I can show you, we build the house for them. Five days and they get a loan and still the Belizeans are waiting. I want the Prime Minister, I want everybody who are in charge of DFC to understand that we are not joking, this is unfair, Belizeans are first.”
And if the houses do not sell and the problems continue to exist, Swasey says his employer, Salvador Habet Junior, will be forced to close down operations.
Earl Swasey
“This is foolishness. All of these people will lose their jobs because the developer who is spending money will close the project down. It will affect drivers, contractors, carpenters, masons, truckers, everybody, even the people who have the little business around Belmopan will not get any money because these people won’t be working.”
The demonstrators did not only protest outside of DFC headquarters, but they also marched to the administration building and then over to City Council where they confronted Mayor Anthony Chanona with their concerns.
Earl Swasey
“There is a part that the mayor is not reading to you. there’s a part that says the land must be sold at a reasonable cost and after Mr. Habet spend all the money…”
Anthony Chanona
“Find it.”
Earl Swasey
“It’s right in there. After Mr. Habet spend all the money to develop the land, he couldn’t, and they want us to sell the land for four thousand and the land costs almost…”
Anthony Chanona
“Mr. Habet paid for this project afterwards Earl.”
Earl Swasey
“Your don’t…from the beginning.”
Anthony Chanona
“Gentlemen, the is not the solution.”
Mayor Chanona says it is sad the way things unfolded because the Piccini Housing Project is one of the best projects in Belmopan and it has been creating jobs for many people. But Chanona says the problems started when Swasey, the protest leader, did not follow specific conditions which were attached to the agreement that was made when the land was sold to him as a land developer.
Anthony Chanona, Mayor, Belmopan
“I don’t think Earl Swasey who I understand has headed up this protest is acting responsibly. Mister Swasey got lands from RECONDEV to conduct a housing project under specific guidelines. Those guidelines are clearly laid out by RECONDEV and by copy of this agreement, mister Swasey as a developer has the responsibility to put in electricity, water, drains and roads.”
Chanona says Swasey sold the project to Salvador Habet, Junior without, he believes, telling Habet about the terms and conditions under which the land was sold.
Anthony Chanona
“It is unfair to try and use City Hall or the Government of Belize as a scapegoat to abdicate that responsibility that was clearly vested in the developer Mister Swasey. To say it is City Hall or the Government of Belize that is now to do these infrastructure works. That is not what this agreement says.”
Today the Piccini Housing Project is still without a proper sewer system in place. In fact, what is on the land is a temporary system that should have only been in place for four months, but has been in use for over a year. Mayor Chanona says it was the developer’s responsibility to put in a proper sewer system.
Anthony Chanona
“The first instance, and this was never done, a topographical survey would be carried to determine the gradient for drainage purposes, placement of sewer lines and street orientation. That project sits on land that is impermeable, the water cannot go anywhere. So if you place these temporary septic tanks that they have there, it obviously will not work, and that is creating the problem.”
But Swasey contends that even though he signed the contract, he did so on behalf of his employer Salvador Habet Junior, who owns the Piccini project. While Mayor Chanona says Swasey and his protestors do not have a legitimate complaint with the placement of infrastructure, he is concerned about the allegations that Belizeans are being denied loans by DFC.
Anthony Chanona
“I understand that people do have difficulty obtaining financing for a house in the Habet project when compared to a similar application from the Cohune Walk Project. And what I have discovered with that allegation, I would say the developer has a legitimate complaint. DFC should go across the board once the loan is a bonafide loan and can be repaid.”
Swasey says if their concerns are not adequately addressed, they will have no choice but take drastic measures. What those measures would be, he would not comment. Mayor Chanona says he wants the Piccini Housing Project to continue and hopes the City Hall can help settle the matter. Reporting for News 5, Jacqueline Woods.
Repeated attempts to get a comment from the Development Finance Corporation regarding the allegations made today were unsuccessful.
