Minister Usher on Price Control List: B.C.C.I Should Have Been Consulted
Henry Charles Usher
Earlier this week, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry wrote to Prime Minister John Briceño, complaining that the government did not consult with them before amending the price control list. The government has expanded the price control list by thirty food and thirteen non-food items and has imposed a fifteen percent and twenty percent maximum markup. Minister of Agriculture, Jose Abelardo Mai responded by saying the chamber should expand its base, a response which the chamber didn’t take kindly. But how does the Minister of the Public Service, Henry Charles Usher feel about the matter. He says the chamber should have been consulted.
Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service
“I believe that they should have been consulted. The two ministers that were dealing with the increasing the number of price regulated items were the Minister of Agriculture, um, Minister Mai, and the Minister of Human Development. Minister Dolores, and they actually put together a big, um, group that was looking at all of the different items, um, and what, um, religions, um, Stay at home moms, working moms, working dads, all of those persons that go to the store to shop They are the ones that put together that list. Perhaps it could have been more consultation with the business community But remember that we did as a government meet with certain sectors of the business community as well on this particular issue of prices So it’s not like they didn’t have any consultation at all. But as to the specific Items of the price regulated goods, perhaps there could have been more consultation.”
Reporter
“They’ve asked whether research was done and they say their own research shows that this does not work. That drives prices.”
Henry Charles Usher
“And so I’ve heard that, but then the competition tends to have collusion as well. That if it’s increase in one era, it’s not like another era will sell below. They’ll increase it, too. So you have to have some kind of regulation to make sure that the prices remain affordable to Belizeans.”
