…And Port of Belize’s Luke Espat says it’s not a new problem
Luke Espat
Principal shareholder at the Port of Belize Limited, Luke Espat, says his private company has been going through similar challenges with government for years now.
Luke Espat, Principal Shareholder, Port of Belize Limited
“This has been a continuous headache between us and the Port Authority of them flagrantly breaking the law, flagrantly disrespecting the rights of the Port of Belize. We have the exclusive authority to offload and handle cargo. What would come to us considering the security elements in this country, considering crime in this country, you saw the recent things that have been happening with containers and problems at the Port. Yet, if this can arbitrarily happen that the Port Commissioner can give a permit to someone to offload an international vessel at any site he so chooses, it just tells you the contempt to which they respect the law. What we did today was merely going to the court to protect our interest, protect our investment and we again appeal to government to let us sit down, let us work on formulas that will make us work in harmony between the regulator, which is the Port Authority and us the operators at the Port. And that’s not asking much.”
Up to news time the ship remains in the Belize harbor, awaiting unloading. But both Espat and Guerrero say they are open to negotiations with Caribbean Shipping Agency, British Forces Belize and the government.
Has Luke Espat for the cost the Belize Port as yet? What the government needs to do is just what
it did with Telemedia, take it back for the Belizean People.
This guy only obeys the law when its convenient to him; check if his establishment complies with any regulations or law; these rich people think that they are above the law and when they are in situations like these they expect the law to help them. Unfortunately the dummies allow for such things.
This guy is my role model!
to” belizean girl”-you must focus on real issues and stop being politicaly motivated darlin.there are rules and regulations to followed by the book in belize, regardless of who owns it,manage it etc….open your eyes and get off this barrow honeymoon my friend !
Its Called Communism when the Government takes control of a Private Company. What the Government needs to do is allow the Business People of this Country to Build a Over Night Cruise Port that would double our economy and fix our Roads. That fact that the Government took control of BTL Proves that our Government is Ignorant. We have one of the highest cell rates in the World the Government should have deregulated the Phone Companies here and allow more competition