U.D.P. Says B.T.L. Chairman is Silent on Smart and G.O.B.’s Contracts

Tracy Panton

The United Democratic Party is calling on former senator Mark Lizarraga who has since taken up the post as chairman of B.T.L., to address the issue.  According to Panton, Chief Executive Officer Ivan Tesucum has also spoken about the fact that there was no discussion with B.T.L. on the transition prior to the decision being taken.

Tracy Panton, Former Minister of Trade & Economic Development

“The C.E.O. of B.T.L. and in that interview he was clear, there was no dialogue at all with B.T.L. in terms of the transferring of these services to Smart.  He painted the picture that they are scrambling; B.T.L. is scrambling to have conversations with the F.O.s [financial officers], heads of departments and C.E.O.s of the various ministries so that they can try to keep B.T.L. viable.  Let me say it was February of this year when B.T.L. had its virtual annual general meeting and when the chairman spoke at that meeting, he said they were given a mandate.  They were directed by the Government of Belize to improve their targets, to improve the efficiency in which the company was run, to implement new services so that they could increase their revenues and sales, so that the monies that the Belizean people had invested in infrastructure at B.E.L. could be returned at a higher rate.  What hypocrisy!”