Panton Concedes Small Market Reality but Rejects BTL Monopoly

As it relates to the UDP’s position on the BTL plans for acquisition, Panton, on one hand concedes that Belize’s small population would better accommodate monopolies.  On the other hand, however, she spoke against the idea of a monopoly, particularly, in the case of Belize Telemedia Limited.

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition: “We cannot support a monopoly. The future, and you want me to say, there will be absolutely no monopoly. Well, there should be absolutely no monopoly in electricity.  There should be absolutely no monopoly in water if that is the stance we’re going to take. In democratic countries with a population size that we have there’s room for monopolies because we have a small market to serve. That is why there’s only one electricity provider and that is why there’s only one provider for water services. That’s why there have been only one provider for telecommunications for so long until the private monopoly took full advantage of the people of this country, until we were taken to court over and over and over and over again. And the government, as you know, it was the UDP administration who sought to nationalize BTL in the public’s interest.”

Panton calls on the government for transparency on this matter before any further negotiations are made.  She called out the BTL Chairman, Mark Lizarraga, who she says is pushing to meet with the opposition.  In this vein, Panton declared that this is only being done since he, Lizarraga and the Prime Minister have been caught with their hands in the proverbial cookie jar.