Attorneys for the government are busy re-drafting legislation for the re-acquisition of the telephone company. It’s an astounding and contentious decision taken by Cabinet on Tuesday because only last Friday, the Court of Appeal declared that the 2009 acquisition is unconstitutional, null and void. And if all goes according to the government’s plan, the repossession […]
Immediately after the interview, the Prime Minister met with the staff of Belize Telemedia along with members of the Board at the Princess Hotel. The meeting lasted for close to two hours and from what we gather, the PM sold his case to the staff on the re-acquisition of one of the largest companies in […]
As you know by now, the Prime Minister says the government will re-nationalize Belize Telemedia on Monday. That’s because its re-nationalization in 2009 has been found by the Court of Appeal to be unconstitutional, null and void. The government has not given back the company to its owners saying the ruling was of a declaratory […]
The weeklong standoff between stevedores and the management of Port of Belize Ltd. ended this evening following a lengthy meeting mediated by Labor Commissioner Ivan Williams. While both parties are yet to begin negotiating the terms for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, they were able to make progress in the area of incorporating substitute stevedores […]
In this newscast from time to time, we have shared the story of the courageous Christopher Bowman. For fourteen years he battled a tumor on his chest that progressively spread to his side and back that paralyzed him. About a month and a half ago, he was optimistic with a round of surgery in the […]
The big story so far is now the renationalization of Telemedia. We have been getting the views from both sides and earlier you heard from Prime Minister Dean Barrow as well the former Minister, Hubert Elrington. Elrington was joined on the couch of Open your Eyes this morning by Attorney Arthur Saldivar, who zeroed in […]
While on the legalities, Hubert Elrington, referred to the current attorney general his former law partner B.Q. Pitts, who has not been heard from since the ruling of the Court of Appeal last Friday. He finds Pitts’ silence lacking. Hubert Elrington, Attorney “We have in Belize an attorney general. The attorney general is the head […]
According to Attorney Arthur Saldivar, there appears to be another flaw in the government’s plan to re-nationalize the company. In a quick history lesson, Saldivar explains BTL’s roots as well as why taking the company, which is private property, and selling the shares to private individuals, is not nationalization. Arthur Saldivar, Attorney “We remember that […]
Last week’s nationalization of B.E.L. is being closely monitored internationally. Standard and Poor’s was the first to send out distress signals threatening to lower Belize’s credit rating. Today, we came across a report from one of the largest global investment banking and securities firms, Nomura, which is also predicting ominous prospects for Belize. The article […]
Moses Sulph was fired earlier this year after his organization, the Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action (COLA), staged a campout protest in front of the Prime Minister’s Office in the Capital. Amongst his supporters, the Public Service Union has called for his reinstatement. But that hasn’t happened, and his name has been smeared with […]
The crisis over Telemedia is far from over; in fact it will be long-drawn-out and is likely to create more instability and uncertainty in the telecoms sector at home; while abroad huge consequences for foreign investment are expected. On Monday night Prime Minister Dean Barrow took to the airwaves and gave a chilling address to […]
One organization that has come out against nationalization is the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry. For that position taken in respect of the acquisition of Belize Electricity Limited, it was subjected to political blows from the government. It is now on the side of the rule of law, following Friday’s decision of the Court […]
The opposition, People’s United Party, meanwhile, says that in the paramount national interest of Belize, it urges both sides to arrive at a reasonable settlement to this “crippling dispute and the endless series of lawsuits and countersuits with the utmost urgency.” According to the P.U.P. in a release, the spill-off of this on-going conflict over […]
The government has been reacting with different interpretations to the ruling that declared that the acquisition of Telemedia was unconstitutional. On Monday the Prime Minister told News Five that the ruling could mean that the owners of Telemedia are entitled to compensation, instead of getting back the company. But according to Executive Chairman, Dean Boyce’s […]
The government is also claiming that there is no formal enforcement order from the Court of Appeal, giving Dean Boyce and his team the go ahead to reclaim their position in the company. Smith says, however, that the order is not necessary since the ruling was declaratory. He predicted this morning that PM Barrow is […]
Dean Boyce continues to operate his parallel Telemedia office, issuing correspondences as Executive Chairman of the company. Today he reacted to a statement made on Monday by Prime Minister Dean Barrow, to the effect that GOB will indemnify Telemedia employees and any parties that do business with the utility company at the instruction of the […]
Turning to the other company that has been nationalized, that’s B.E.L. Chair of B.E.L., Rodwell Williams said on Monday that the financial package that the former Belize Electricity Limited Board executives were paid is estimated at two point seven million dollars. The Prime Minister has said that he believes that Lynn Young, the former C.E.O. […]
The package was paid to five senior managers as well as two Canadian engineers. The argument from the government controlled company is that Young’s decision to terminate the services of the executives was reckless and that the firings allowed for them to collect more monies than they would have had they resigned on their own […]
When asked whether B.E.L. will consider legal action against the Government of Belize in light of the precedent that was set in the Telemedia nationalization, Young said that the legislation which was passed to seize B.T.L. from the Ashcroft Group in 2009 was initially created to wrest B.E.L. from private ownership. While Young is uncertain […]
Today makes one week since the government nationalized Belize Electricity Limited. The company’s C.E.O. is Jeffrey Locke, and a new board has been installed, but the chairman remains Rodwell Williams, the Prime Minister’s law partner of Barrow and Williams. When we caught up with Williams at the F.F.B. case, he also spoke on the issue […]
The Court of Appeal today delivered a massive blow to the government in the 2009 acquisition of Belize Telemedia. The ruling reverses an order made by the government to compulsorily acquire the telephone company from the Ashcroft Group. It was handed down at four this afternoon. The drama mounted because there was first a notice […]
Turning to another company that has been nationalized, B.E.L. The National Trade Union Congress of Belize says that while it supports the nationalization, there are some concerns. The NTUCB says it will monitor the progress at BEL and insists that the government should avoid cronyism and ensure the flow of electricity with stable and affordable […]
This morning there was a potential threat of strike at Port of Belize. The stevedores, under the stewardship of the Christian Workers Union, have been at an impasse with the management of the port over a wide range of issues; from work schedules to wages. The Port of Belize issued a release Thursday night, speaking […]
The international conference in support of Central American Security Strategy was held earlier this week. It focused on the financing needed to fight organized crime and narco-trafficking. Fifty delegations from across the region attended including Prime Minister of Belize Dean Barrow. The U.S. delegation headed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged hundreds of million […]
Still on the issue of the nationalization of B.E.L., the president of the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been the main target of the government’s verbal firing squad since the chamber expressed grave concerns about the country’s second corporate takeover. The United Democratic Party’s propaganda published a photo of Kay Menzies while dressed […]
