And reason for sugar smuggling? Cheaper price in Belize
Damian Gough
The reason for the smuggling of sugar across the borders is because the sweet stuff is more expensive in the neighboring countries and offers agents a bigger profit margin. One suggestion is to increase the price of the sugar locally, making it less attractive to the Mexican and Guatemalan businessmen. According to Gough, it’s worked in the past, but it’s not the best idea in the current economic climate.
Via Phone: Damian Gough, Marketing Officer, B.S.I.
“Just across the border in Chetumal, we understand based on information that is available to us that a pound of sugar sells for a dollar and forty cents. The controlled price here in Belize is roughly fifty cents. And so you have an opportunity to move sugar across the border because of those high prices, then you will do that. So for us, the ultimate solution to try to minimize or curb the high levels of cross border trade is to look at some way of maybe bringing up the price. I know that that isn’t something that would be well received, given the economic climate, but on a strictly economic basis, that would at the end of the day be the ultimate solution. The current prices that are in place for sugar in Belize have been in place since 2000, that’s eleven years now. The last time we had this level of high contraband was in 1998-99 and the solution was to take the price up and when we did that we saw the contraband drop off considerably after that and that was the last time that the government of the day then allowed for a price increase in sugar.”
Delahnie Bain
“So is this something that we will see happening soon or is it a last resort type of thing?”
Via Phone: Damian Gough
“It’s something that has been discussed and for now has been agreed that it will not happened. But again, like I said, that is primarily because of the current economic conditions that we’re living under where everything is already pretty high priced. So for now it’s not something that people can expect to see in the short or medium term but it’s something that we would explore if we want to adequately curtail the high levels of cross border trade.”
B.S.I. is asking anyone with information on the illegal sugar trade to call the consumer protection hotline to help reduce the outflow.
I am tired of hearing stupid economics from stupid people. Great if Mexicans or anyone can come and buy our sugar because it is cheaper. Don’t we go to Chetumal to buy cheap fuel and other commodities.? The solution is not to kill the trade but to encourage more trade. The reaction that i see could only be the product of centuries of slave thinking just like how barrow thinks. All his remedies to fix anything in Belize are worst than the diseases.
So why don’t BIS sell sugar directly to Mexico and Guatemala? maybe if they do they can stay independent.
good comments.
when i imported cement from honduras, they had a local price, and export price and a quota system. Tighten up on the smuggling of sugar. Consequences curb actions. But oh yes, no justice in Belize, I forgot. So, let customs and police do some real work, and BSI you go and get the most money you can for as much sugar as you can from the foreign market and make sure we have enough sugar even at higher prices while gov’t work on creating jobs for a change so we can pay for our sugar, and people up north -unu- plant more cane and vote out barrow and all his crowd of dunces.
What we need to do is to go into an agreement whereby we sold sugar to both Guatemala and Mexico direct from the factory. Allowed a company to import it and charge them the right price and place in a different bag to identify that it is for export only. There is no need to hike up the price of sugar just deal with it through trade agreement.
Don’t worry people Belize will be taken over by eighteen Guatemala or Mexico soon no defense in the country no minister of defense he has gotten lost in Belize so I say bring it on guatemalans mexicans do as you please in our country What a site it was to see barrow on his knees in front of Calderon begging for cheaper prizes wow wow wow Oliver barrow Judas barrow.
What about channel 5 taking the sugar crisis into the streets of Belize. Interview Belizeans to get their take on the current situation. For the past month and a half i have tried to purchase sugar at the nearby chinese stores in Lake Inpendence, but to no avail. Recently, I was able to purchase 5lb from Brodies NHW, but the sugar was not on the shelf. It was in a back room. One of the attendant got it for me. Thanks. Last week I went to a Chinese store, Fay, on Mahogany St. to purchase 5lb and was told that the maximum they sell is 2lb and the only way I could get it is if I purchase a kool-aid and an ice. Horrible. Please I beg of the media assistance. Oh! Also, please check on the price of 1lb flour. You will be amaze. Thanks.
propose to impose a higher price on sugar to Belizean consumers to justify illegal smuggling? Then say it’s not on the table and will not happen? if it supposedly is not going to happen, why mention it at all? very suspicious
Why on God’s green earth would anyone even think of raising the price of sugar to discourage the contraband of same? Since when do you penalise the masses for the greed and selfishness of a corrupt few? Are you decision makers alright or what?
Folks you all are up for a hell of a ride with the mafia sugar cartel, sheep in wolf’s clothing. For many years in my business as Investment Banking I’ve had to deal with this bunch of ruthless globalists. I.ve tried to ássist cane farmers in other countries to increase thier profits by introducing a technology in IONIC CHEMISTRY that could allow for 30 different by products to be produced from sugar cane. This would allow the cane farmers to earn as much as $300.00 per ton for their cane. Unfortunately this bunch of bandits were able to destroy all our efforts one way or the other, and most of the time they did their distruction by the blessing of government officials. Since experience is the best teacher, at a distance I can see the handwriting on the wall with what is taking place with you guys back there. I don’t believe in luck; so I say, I wish you all the best. Buckle your seat belts.