New Business Community Senator ready

Mark Lizarraga

The business community has elected Mark Lizarraga as its senator. Lizarraga was in Belmopan on Wednesday to be sworn in along with eleven other senators. A shrewd businessman, Lizarraga is expected to successfully maneuver the interests of the private sector on the senate floor. Some pieces of legislation he will see for the first time just prior to the vote and there is bound to be robust debate in the days ahead. His first opportunity will likely be when the budget for the next financial year lands in the Senate for ratification. News Five spoke to Lizarraga this morning on how he sees the road ahead. He says he has support and guidance from a committee made up of members from the Business Bureau as well as the Chamber and that he hopes we will be able to move forward. He also expects less friction between government and the business sector.

Mark Lizarraga, Senator, Private Sector

“It’s no secret that the business community had confrontations with the administration in their last term, perhaps the differences of ideologies and differences of how best to take the country forward. I must say the prime minister has planted many seeds of hope for this current term. The most famous one perhaps is Senator Godwin Hulse, who was my predecessor; he is now playing is seems, a very prominent role in helping the prime minister achieve his objectives for this term. We’ve lost a lot of people from the Chamber who have gone over to government in this term. We have lost one of our vice presidents, Jose Alpuche, who is now a C.E.O. in the ministry of agriculture. We have lost a past president of the Chamber, Mrs. Amparro Noble Masson, who is going to be in the office of the prime minister working as a business development officer and a liaise with the business sector. So I believe the prime minister has planted some very good seeds and we look forward to a bountiful harvest this term if the prime minister is able to achieve what he has set out to do. I must also mention that the prime minister has also in his office a person with tremendous business experience and acumen, Minister Santiago “Santi” Castillo so he will bring a lot of business acumen to the prime minister’s office as well.”