Opposition Leader Weighs in on Local Sugar Shortage

The Leader of the Opposition, Moses “Shyne” Barrow, says he believes Agriculture Minister Jose Abelardo Mai is being dishonest with Belizeans. Last week, when reporters questioned Minister Mai about the sugar shortage on the local market, he indicated that the shortage was a result of increased demand in December. Barrow says he rejects that explanation. He also told reporters that he would support Santander’s proposal to supply the local market to spare Belizeans the high cost of imported sugar.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“For Abelardo Mai to try to say that the reason we had a sugar shortage is because of the great demand, is complete dishonestly. Never before in the history of Belize did we have a sugar shortage during the month of December because it was Christmas. Belize is the number one sugar producing nation in the entire region. The only reason that we had a shortage in December is because of the illegal exportation of sugar. This idea that they had asked Santander whether they had sugar back in August, but they didn’t have back in August so they didn’t revisit the issue is preposterous. All they would need is a dispensation order to be issued in order to give Santander the permission to sell BSI to spare the Belizean people the high cost that ended up coming as a result of the illegal exportation of sugar. So now the government that claim to love the Belizean people so much and would go out of their way to ease their suffering, just made it worst, rather than going to Santander, importing sugar from abroad, makes absolutely no sense. It is either incompetence or just callousness. They just don’t care about the Belizean people.”