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Feb 13, 1998

Cable TV company granted Government subsidy

In crimes of an economic nature, the Government of Belize has for the first time awarded a development concession to an enterprise going into the business of… cable television. Northern Cable Network Limited in Orange Walk will now be subsidized by taxpayers to bring the good citizens of that town more sex, violence and consumerism courtesy of North American satellites. Under the terms of the concession the company will for five years be able to bring in all its equipment duty free as well as two vehicles. The company will also be exempt from payment of income tax for three years. The concession was granted despite protests from several local broadcasters complaining that such a move only makes it more difficult for existing operations to survive, particularly in view of new copyright laws that will have to be implemented in less than two years. Orange Walk is already served by a cable company which offers fifty two channels. An official at the Ministry of Economic Development, when asked by News Five to explain the awarding of such a concession, admitted that the application had no merit and could not be justified by any economic criteria. It has nonetheless been signed into law by Minister of Economic Development Manuel Esquivel. The owners of Northern Cable are Gaspar and Dana Vega. Gaspar has been an unsuccessful U.D.P. candidate for the Orange Walk Town Board. It is also understood that the operation has been granted a loan of five hundred thousand dollars from the Development Finance Corporation.


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