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Dec 24, 2019

Should Chamber Have Gone the Way of FOIA?

Michael Peyrefitte

The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry has formally requested a copy of the contract signed by Imer Hernandez who recently signed on to an agreement to pave the Coastal Road.  The request is being facilitated by the Ministry of Works which is in receipt of the correspondence from the private sector organization.  But couldn’t they have sought details of the contract via the Freedom of Information Act?  It’s an avenue that has proven frustrating in other pursuits; however, Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte maintains that the route the chamber has taken is tantamount to playing to the gallery.

 

Michael Peyrefitte, Attorney General

“These people should know with all the letters they write, just ask for it under the Freedom of Information Act.  I mean, why come on TV and write a letter and say, “Oh, we want…”  It’s just grandstanding.  If you really want information from government, you write under the Freedom of Information Act and you will get it.  They will get it once they request it under the proper process.  But yoh noh go pan TV and seh oh well we wahn dis and we wahn dat.  I mean that’s not how you, as supposedly a professional organization, are supposed to behave.”

 

Reporter

“Sir, you know that, and perhaps it’s the state of any government, to have an adversarial relationship with the Chamber of Commerce, with many civil society players, the N.T.U.C.B., etc.  However, there is a particular role for the chamber because the chamber ultimately represents businesspersons and businesspersons are the persons from whom you all raise your campaign financing.”

 

Michael Peyrefitte

“We do?”

 

Reporter

“Your war chest.”

 

Michael Peyrefitte

“We do?  I don’t know about any war chest and we’re not raising any finances from the business community, but that’s your comment.  Go ahead.”

 

Reporter

“I’m saying, shouldn’t you all try to be, instead of confrontational, more conciliatory with this group and confidence building since the U.D.P. does not have the strongest record as being private sector friendly.”

 

Michael Peyrefitte

“It doesn’t?”

 

Reporter

“It doesn’t sir.”

 

Michael Peyrefitte

“You have your reasons why you make your [statements] I don’t know anything about that.  We deal with everybody the same way.  The issue I have with the chamber is that they think that they can run the country better than the people who are elected to do so.”


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