Did Bakabush get preferential treatment from Carnival Cruise Line?
Controversy surrounding the manner in which Bakabush Tours was awarded a lucrative shore excursion contract by Carnival Cruise Line continued today during an annual general meeting held by the Federation of Cruise Tourism Associations of Belize. The organization has expressed its dissatisfaction with what it considers preferential treatment afforded to the tour operator. Today News Five Isani Cayetano spoke to the two sides to shed some light on the real issue.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
The issue of a contract awarded to Bakabush Tours came to light in the media last week with a position taken by CEO Mike Singh on the matter. The comments sparked reaction from various stakeholders within the cruise tourism industry and today after consultation with its lawyer the company has come forward to say that it is not receiving such treatment from the cruise line.
Guy Martin, Chief Operations Officer, Chukka Caribbean Adventure
guy martin
“We don’t have any special contract with any cruise line. If we did, it would put us in jeopardy with that cruise line’s competitors. If we had a special agreement with Carnival how do you think Carnival’s competitors would treat us as a tour provider? They would want the same treatment would they not? So they’d want to enter into similar agreements and you can see how this would snowball okay. You just can’t do that, not in today’s world.”
While Martin says the Chukka/Bakabush venture with Carnival does not show favoritism, members of FECTAB are arguing that the agreement between both companies is counterproductive because it is drawing revenue away from the country.
troy gabb
Troy Gabb, Member, FECTAB
“We need to ensure that we protect the investment of Belizeans. I mentioned to you that one of the major economic problem in my welcoming speech that I have a gripe with is that we are not getting the benefit from having this particular foreign company here because all the payments are made—you all know foreign exchange is very, very critical to this small economy and every U.S. dollar we can earn or every foreign dollar that we can earn is important. This is a foreign company with a foreign bank account where the bulk of the money is trapped outside this country.”
Guy Martin
“Every dollar that is earned in tour revenue is brought to this country through the Central Bank of Belize and into our bank account in U.S. dollars so we can pay our staff, we can pay our insurance, we can pay our vendors, our service providers like transportation and food and beverage and whatever else, okay, and to pay our taxes and the fees that we pay.”
Among other allegations being levied at Bakabush Tours is that the company is usurping resources being provided by the relevant government agencies without having to pay certain fees for use of facilities.
Concerned Tour Operator
“This company here came very smoothly, I don’t even have the words to express, and just they are capturing our gold mine. No other Caribbean country have a river going through the caves so we have captured that and say “yah we have hit our own petroleum line” yoh know, Caves Branch. Now this Jamaican company is coming down and having everything down. Apart from the shame that they don’t pay entrance fee, apart from the shame as the tour guide said, BTB, the police, the traffic department don’t check their buses so somehow, someway somebody is collecting. Somebody is paying someone.”
Guy Martin
“The fees that we pay—and I will say this that we pay them on or before they are due. We don’t wait until they are past due because the government needs its money to provide the services it provides to the people of Belize. It’s an obligation that we have as a business operating here to make sure we pay our taxes and fees.”
CEO in the Ministry of Tourism, Mike Singh, has weighed in on the matter basically stating that the issue at hand has more to do with the quality and standard of service being provided by Bakabush Tours as opposed to other tour operators within the industry. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
FECTAB passed a resolution at today’s AGM to join BTIA and also lobby to have a representative sit on the board of directors of BTB
As long as our elected officials can be bought, we will continue to be compromised. If Mr. Martin is paying for services in advance, how much is he paying & who keeps track of the visitors to the cave. Why do we have lawyers & people with advanced degrees running the country who allow themselves to be treated like idiots & suckers?
Of course he has an account with Belize Central Bank, his employees has to be paid but who is BS-ing who? Carnival pays him through one account & money is transferred to another to meet payroll, there is no reason to believe that the accounts are one & the same.Stop blowing smoke!!!
I think Belize NEEDS foreign investment to grow and create jobs here. There is not enough capital in Belize to create enough new jobs to put all of us to work.
If we are hostile to outside investors just to protect politically connected business owners here, we will continue to suffer. Don’t attack Bakabush, they give jobs to our people. Let the companies compete fairly, head to head, and may the best company win.
If we want prosperity for our kids, I say ENCOURAGE foreign investment, and make good jobs for more Belizeans. We live in an international economy, and the world is passing us by. It’s sad.
they should Listen to the jamaican Guy, he makes a lot of sence, and he well organize we need to step up the game: yet he needs to go though !!!
Troy Gabb???
Credibility of FECTAB just plummet.
BELIZE IS LIKE A BIG FAT COW………… Everybody is trying to MILK HER!!! and eh own picni hungry……
There are some malicious, backstabbing Belizeans in FECTAB. Looking out for fair competion?
Bahahahahahaha!!! The hypocrisy is killing me!
The Belize Government can not take care of all of us Belizeans if each and everyone of us Belizeans do not do our part to take care of our Country and Government !
If the people who earn a living from the Cruise ship business in this country, and want to keep earning a living, they must do all that they can to keep that business coming to Belize.
To do just enough to get by does not work any longer in a world market of tourism. The crime rate is already against Belize as a tourist destination and no one seems to really care.
The Cruise ship companies give their tourist customers the very best service they can to keep tourist coming back. They do all that is necessary to insure the customers ( TOURIST ) will come back to do business with them again and keep them as safe as they possibly can.
Every Belizean who feels threatened here should take a trip to the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico as a tourist in their service industry, hotels, resorts, restaurants and shops. Notice how well they are all treated. 1st class almost every time. One also gets a good value for their money. Safety issues and thefts on personal effects in their rooms or on their persons are extremely rare. Belizeans can not say that. There is to much of a “catch and kill ” mentality that leaves a bad taste with tourist and kills the industry a little more and more every year. News travels by word of mouth not just here in Belize but all over the world. The internet is making the world a smaller place daily.
If Belize wants to remain a tourist destination they must improve, update and manage their streets, services and businesses more responsibly, safely protecting these tourist and their belongings while providing the very best of services they can offer.
If Belizeans will not open their eyes and be diligent in doing all that is necessary to keep tourist coming back, there are other countries that will and they will be doing all that is within their power to keep it that way and we will lose that much needed income for this country.
The government can not do this all by it self. It needs every Belizean to come up right and do their part to make it happen. The government can not take care of us if we are not willing to do our part to take care of each other, our country and the businesses that keep it alive!
Please check out this link.
Belizean people in general don’t really care about jobs. They love when they get a chance to cry in public and make everyone feel sorry for them. Why
Very perseptive Earl Grey, Belize is up for grabs, the word is out, little english speaking country in Central America, can get land for cheep, can retire on 1500 a month, ( include a maid ) even the criminals are running there to hide out…. They are not trying to milk the cow, they are milking the cow!!! yes while the pickni deh the starve…
It is ridiculous to say that Belizeans don’t really care about jobsThere are many people in Belize that are willing and able to work but refuse to be taken advantage of especially when they know there rights.That is evident particularly in cruise tourism in Belize.Employer or large tour operators like Chuka tours or whatever thier name is thinks that they could just come to this country and take advantage of Belizeans by paying there employess salaries that is below minimum wage and we suppose to be happy.If there is no other industry that touches the lives of belizean directly its
the tourism industry.It time for us to support something that is 100% Belizean.
That Jamaican guy only stated that money which the company earns goes into the central bank account, but he fails to mention how much of that same money is being transferred out of Belize by way of the same central bank. I’ve been seeing that all the foreign investors come to Belize just to rape our resources and then leave with a pocket full of cash and the govenerment just stands by and watch. CEO Singh seems to have already gotten his hands buttered heavily with bribe money as well as others in this UDP administration. No wonder Belize is recognized as one of the most corrupt countries in central america. Why are Belizeans siding with the enemy over is own people?? is it because of greed? is it because of money??? hmmm…..corruption i say…
What services does the belize government provide for belizeans?name one guy martin?what u talking about?time for belizeans to unite,forget about”i am pup,you are udp-and fight for your rights-when will you belizeans stop foreigners from comming to rape you-courtesy of pup and udp.enough is enough-of course dont forget,the the bdf and police will kill you if u stand for your rights.
This goes to show tons of times again that the belize government(weather that be the pup or udp in power)that they dont give a dam about if you as a belizean,your children,or your wife-have a dicent way of earning money to feed your family-al long as every sweet deal is done legally-remember,those lawyers in belize are criminals with a lawdgree-the fear of man needs to be brought on those city lawyers who are behind every criminal deal-ask the lawyer WILLIAMS how he feel now after an attempt was made in his life-bet he will think now on bringing belizeans some justice.
Hooray for the people who have come together to fight for what is right – the right of Belizeans to protect a domestic industry from invasion. CHUKKA COVE are a rapist tour operator from Jamaica who have been kicked out of several Caribbean islands, especially Cayman; that country point blank refused them entry into their tourism, declaring that tourism in Cayman was for Caymanians. What joy!! Wish I could bring some Cayman government ministers to Belize to govern, instead of the lambiscons we have here on both sides of the poltical fence, and their political appointees, who sell us out every which way but loose. As for CEO Michael Singh from the tourism ministry, what gall. What shame. He has completely lost any credibility, and should indeed be removed forthwith from that post before he continues to compromise the cruise industry, and graduates to our overnight industry to do his damage there. Dean Oliver Barrow, Prime Minister of Belize – GET INVOLVED. Find out about the secret meetings taking place between Singh and the Jamaican tour operator and their Belize partners. CARNIVAL CRUISELINES – shame on you a thousand times. You cold bloodied money suckers have screwed Belize and Belizeans out of their rightful living, allowing in a Jamaican tour operator into Belize, bleeding Belizeans, underpaying our guides, taking every advantage of every penny that is sucking out of the blood of Belize and Belizeans. Bloody Merchants of Venice – reverse this rape session of Belize and pull CHUKKA COVE back out and toss them back to their island to come to Belize no more, and do it quickly. Belizeans are long on patience, but are running out now. Government of Belize, wake up. CSME is a monster, the MDCs of the Caribbean will sink Belize, a poor little LDC. FECTAB, DO NOT GIVE UP – FIGHT TO THE END – YOU ARE DOING GOVERNMENT’S JOB IN LOOKING AFTER BELIZE AND BELIZEANS IN TOURISM AND EVERYTHING ELSE. Hooray for patriots like that true Belizean, Greenwood and his organization of guides, operators, etc.. God Bless you all with victory – your victory will be the victory of Belize and Belizeans – show our elected officials how to really defend and protect and develop Belize for Belizeans. CHUKKA COVE, get out of Belize and get out now !!!
Carnival took a Jamaican tour operator to carry out their shore excursions in Belize? Man, that is unbelievably stupid…..they had to know the people there would have to kick up a fuss, and from all indications the government there ain’t doing anything about it? And from comments above, the main man at their tourism ministry is saying the operators in Belize ain’t up to standard? Jeez, this is starting to look like a public relations nightmare for the guys at Chukka Cove Caribbean tours. Bravo, Belizeans, and don’t stop – nobody is fighting for you but yourselves – keep the action up. I believe Americans should start (or maybe Belize people in America) writing in to Carnival and applying the pressure from our end. I am leaving Belize on Tuesday after a 10 day gorgeous tour of this little paradise, and will be back; but I promise to keep abreast of what is happening in this crazy issue. Carnival, SHAME ON YOU. Tourism Ministry of Belize, SHAME ON YOU. You should fight for your own people, not strangers from another country!!!