Will B.S.I. Stage a Legal Challenge or Pack Up and Leave?

Millions of dollars in investments have been made by American Sugar Refinery/Belize Sugar Industries over the years, including twenty million dollars in upgrades at the mill.  But what’s the next move for the millers? Will they mount a legal challenge of the S.I. or pack up and leave? Finance Director Shawn Chavarria says that B.S.I. has been getting legal advice on the steps going forward.

Shawn Chavarria, Director of Finance, B.S.I.

Shawn Chavarria

“At this time that’s what we are weighing in terms of whether we challenge the legislation. We have received legal advice on it and we are considering that. Given the extent in which we believe this interferes with our commercial business and confidentiality of it; that’s something that we are seriously taking onboard, whether to proceed with challenging this legislation. We did indicate to the ministry that would be something we would consider as well. So at the moment that’s certainly a live matter. Even before A.S.R., B.S.I. has been in business for decades, for over fifty years. Our mainstay has always been exports. We’ve always abided by the laws of Belize. This is not the only regulation that exists for us. We are a factory so we have to apply for factory licenses. The Department of Environment we have to apply for discharge licenses. Recently the S.I.C.B. compelled us to apply for a manufacturer’s license and now we see this new legislation for us to be licensed to be an exporter. So, for us, it seems that there’s a standard for B.S.I., but not a same one for other companies. And so I think the response would be why is it that B.S.I. is so regulated whereas other businesses have less of this bureaucracy and red tape for doing business.”