Expo and the Carnival Road March will be on the same day

The Belize Marketplace Expo and the Carnival Road March are both highly anticipated events in the national celebrations calendar. This year, they are both set for September fourteenth and this has created a problem for the private sector which is complaining that its stands to lose on its investment for the two-day event which is held at the ITVET in Belize City. Late this afternoon, the Chamber of Commerce made the point that the EXPO has always taken place on the weekend between the tenth and twenty-first of September and so the 2013 dates were set according to this tradition.  The Chamber reports that in meetings with the Co-Chair of the National Celebrations Commission and other interested parties, it is established that given the required level and cost of logistics already in place as well as the contractual commitments and the liability exposure involved, the dates for the Expo cannot change. The chamber adds that it is working closely with the security forces to ensure the personals safety of visitors.  The last thing we heard from the official side is that the matter would be taken up for discussion by Cabinet this week.