3 weeks ago
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Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde says he was relieved to hear the announcement that Prime Minister John Briceno was pressing pause on the BTL proposed acquisition. In his address yesterday at the PUP meeting, Hyde explained that the pause on the acquisition is the party’s way of doing things they were originally meant to be done – with the Belizean people in mind. He noted that the PUP’s way has been about consultation with the voters before making big decisions.
Cordel Hyde, Deputy Prime Minister: “For the first time since we won in 2020, we have a bit of a setback. We have a stumbling going on right? Because as you know, we were rolling. A year ago we were flying high. A couple of months ago, we were flying sky high. Sky high. And then all this talk about the proposed acquisition of Smart came about and then things got serious. Things got serious and circumstances suddenly changed on us. But that is the nature of politics. That is the nature of life. The good times don’t last forever. It is what you do in that moment that makes all the difference and what we did. Listen I won’t lie to you all. When the Prime Minister, when it was announced that the Prime Minister pressed the pause button on the acquisition I was happy happy happy. You all tell the truth, weren’t you happy too ? Tell the truth, weren’t you happy too ? The pause is PUP at its best. What was happening before I don’t know what that was, that was not PUP. The pause is PUP at its best because what the pause allows us to do now is to make sure that there is real genuine consultation with the people of Belize on this issue. So that the technical people from BTL can go all across this country, go to the schools, go to UB, go to the community centers all across this country to talk to our people in a cordial way. In an honest way. In open way. In a friendly way. And take their time doing it. With no gun at anyone’s head. Take their time one consultation at at time. And if after a couple months of consultation the people aren’t with it then BTL will have to take a chill pill. They will have to take a chill pill. They will have to shelf it. Because ultimately it’s the people of Belize who own the company. It’s not Mr.Lizarraga. It’s not the board of BTL, it’s the people of Belize.”
On the margins of yesterday’s national council meeting, Prime Minister John Briceno echoed Hyde’s sentiments. While the idea of the acquisition is not off the table, the call for further consultation and transparency has won, which PM Briceno says this will follow.
John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize: “I see it that way what he has always said that once that once we listen to the people we can’t go wrong. And so we did it, as he pointed out, the PUP way. We put a pause and what have we done ? As I said earlier that probably BTL put the cart in front of the horse. The Public Utilities Commission has stepped in to take a look at it and if it is something that makes sense for BTL and for the country then that’s something that should be done and also it gives an opportunity for the Public Utilities Commission time also to put in the necessary regulations to regulate. Remember BTL is no longer a telecommunications company. Telecommunications, telephones, our phone calls are being lost to Whatsapp and to Signal and those other. So BTL has to be more strategic in their vision and to see how they can increase the profits of BTL because if BTL were to crash it’s all of us, it’s our money. So I welcome the chairman Lizaragga and his management team to be forward looking in trying to see how they can increase profits and I think that’s what’s important. And so the DPM was not against it. What he was saying we’re doing it the PUP way. That we always have to go back to the people and once we have the people on our side we’re going to do well.”
Reporter: Do you think you were getting away from the PUP way by not having public consultations ?
John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize: “Absolutely not. I don’t know how you could come to that conclusion. Remember the BTL is a private company and they believe that they were doing it right because as a private company it’s a private decision but it is obvious I think that people want to make sure, they want more information and the people want to ensure since we own the company, we the people, have to ensure that the decisions that are made are in the interest of we the people.”
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Love News understands that currently, the union is seeking an audience with Cabinet members to further discuss the acquisition./
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