PM Briceño Appoints New Board of Directors for P.B.L.
Gilbert Canton
A new interim board of directors has been appointed by Prime Minister John Briceño to replace the outgoing executives at the Port of Belize Limited. As part of its takeover of the facility, the Government of Belize has proceeded with the selection of an acting chairman, along with six other board members. In a statement released earlier today, the Office of the Prime Minister announced that Doctor Gilbert Canton has been appointed as chair of P.B.L., to be supported by Elena Smith, Priscilla Banner, Warren Coye, Leidi Urbina, Carlton Young and Major Lloyd Jones at the senior level of the company. As we reported last Thursday, the Port Acquisition and Settlement Deeds Bill 2023 was debated and approved in the House of Representatives. The proposed piece of law which allows government to purchase P.B.L. from the Ashcroft Group was also tabled before the upper house today, with Leader of Government Business, Senator Eamon Courtenay introducing the motion in parliament. Senator Courtenay then spoke about the history of the Port of Belize while it was under receivership.
Eamon Courtenay
Senator Eamon Courtenay, Leader of Govt. Business
“On January 5th, 2012, that port was put into receivership, January 5th, 2012. And entities like that are put into receivership when it appears that the company cannot pay its obligations and the creditor will put it into receivership. A receiver is appointed to sell and to manage its assets in the meantime, but to sell to collect for the creditor. Lo and behold, Madame President, that receivership lasted until April 30th, 2023. Eleven years, eleven long years, Madame President. I don’t know, it’s probably the longest receivership ever in this country, I have no idea, but it led to an unsatisfactory state of affairs, Madame President. The public will be aware that the relationship between management and the stevedores deteriorated during that period of time. There were strikes, Madame President, which had serious, deleterious consequences for individuals, for businesses, indeed for the economy of Belize. Efforts to resolve those disputes failed, court cases were brought against the stevedores’ union, alleging illegal strike, claiming damages for interruption of business. That is not the type of labor relations that we are accustomed to in this country.”
