How was the Tendering Process for Boledo Undertaken?
Kevin Bernard
A tendering process for interested businesses to assume the role of master agents was delayed by a few months, as it was initially anticipated that the Boledo and Sunday Lottery would have resumed in September. But how was that process undertaken and what about the revenues that government would have lost in the interim? Here’s Minister Bernard’s response to those questions.
Kevin Bernard, Cabinet Minister
“I can’t answer to that. I have no idea, like I said, there’s a committee that did all of that process and I’m sure you all know there was an open tender process. I will not comment any further as it relates to that process. My position is that we are welcoming the fact that Boledo is back and we’re going to be able to provide services to the Belizean people in the healthcare sector, in education and in sports.”
Reporter
“It was a thorough process obviously because the government said over and over that they wanted to be careful with who they chose, at the end of the day it was six months of revenue lost which amounts to about twenty-five million if you look at the revenues for last year which was a total of sixty million. Do you lament this twenty-five million [dollar] loss?”
Kevin Bernard
“Loss to who?”
Reporter
“To the government and the Belizean people.”
Kevin Bernard
“At the end of the day, who was benefiting from it? Who would have benefited from it if we would have continued with that arrangement under the Brad’s operation, we were not getting anything from the Boledo. So, I agree that the delay may have been a little bit, but at the end of the day it’s the benefits that will come after this and that is the most important for me.”
Duane Moody
“Do you know how long the contract is for because we know what had happened in the past and all of that, but do we know how long these contract with these master agents?”
Kevin Bernard
“Remember, it’s the government’s lottery, it’s the master agents that will sell and do the services for the contract. I don’t know the details of any terms of contract, I think you need to direct that to where it needs to go at the Ministry of Finance.”
