PM Briceño Discusses Positive Outcome in Sugar Crisis

Prime Minister John Briceño came under scrutiny recently for the perceived manner in which he handled the sugar dispute between the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association and A.S.R./B.S.I.  The head of government was soundly criticized by the leadership of B.S.C.F.A. for dropping the ball during the negotiations between both parties regarding a new commercial agreement for the delivery and processing of sugarcane at the mill.  Up until today, however, PM Briceño had not responded to the criticism levied against him.  Earlier today, following an event at the Corozal Free Zone, reporters were able to catch up with him and fielded several questions following the positive outcome of the protracted negotiations.  We begin with his perspective on the give and take between both parties.

Prime Minister John Briceño

Prime Minister John Briceño

“In every negotiations you have to give and take and both sides gave and both sides gave up.  So, it’s a matter of finding that balancing act between the BSI and the BSCFA and also the other associations.  So it was a matter of give and take, it was a long arduous negotiations.  I’m amazed that sometimes you all in the media don’t remember what all we’ve been through.  Two years ago, I sent a letter to both sides when they had the same problem, giving them one year to have an agreement.  One year later, they did not have an agreement where a mediator was appointed by the name of Mrs. Bradley and she worked with both sides and she couldn’t get anywhere, so again, that ended almost at a stalemate.  Then we appointed a subcommittee of Cabinet.  We asked Kareem Musa to head it along with ministers Mai and Mira and they have been doing shuttle diplomacy from both sides.  Now, as we’re coming to the end of that time, I was asked to intervene just before the new year and I managed, we had an agreement.  It’s only when I was, on the thirtieth of December, in the night, when I was informed again that it fell down.  So on the second [of January], I had to return home to look after this matter so I’m happy that I did.  That was on Wednesday and by Thursday, again, we had an agreement from both sides.  I gave them in writing commitments from both ends.  So now it’s a matter of putting it into the agreement.  I was helping in those agreements right up until Saturday evening and we were almost finished, that’s when the CEO from BSI suggested that maybe just leave the two lawyers to iron out the small differences.  It was mostly semantics, in the words.  Then Sunday evening, again, I was told that it fell down.  I made an appeal to Mac MacLachlan, we really need to get this done and also to the president of the BSCFA.  So on Monday morning, I thought that it was going well, so I went to work in Belmopan and I was called by Minister Musa and he said, it’s best you come here.  I went there and I said, bring the two groups to sit around this table and we are not leaving until we have an agreement and it didn’t take much work because we were so close.  Here we are, we had an agreement, we signed the agreement and as Shakespeare said, all is well that ends well.”