Commission of Inquiry into Sugar Cane Industry to Begin Public Hearings

The Commission of Inquiry into the Sugar Cane Industry has announced that public hearings will begin in late August. The first set of hearings is scheduled from Tuesday, August 27th to Saturday, August 31st, at Escuela Secundaria Técnica México in San Roman village, Corozal District.

Key stakeholders summoned for these northern sessions include Belize Sugar Industries Limited (BSI), Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association (BSCFA), Corozal Sugar Cane Farmers Association (CSCPA), Progressive Sugar Cane Farmers Association (PSCPA), Northern Sugar Cane Farmers Association (NSCFA), and various arms of the Sugar Industry Control Board (SICB).

After the hearings in the north, the venue will shift to the Ministry of Agriculture’s conference room at the agriculture showgrounds in Belmopan. In Belmopan, representatives from Santander Sugar, Belize Electricity Limited (BEL), and the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) are expected to attend.

While the general public will not be permitted to attend the official venues, the hearings will be streamed live on the Government of Belize Press Office Facebook Page and will also be recorded. Accredited media outlets, including radio and TV stations, newspapers, and online platforms, will be allowed to attend and stream or record the proceedings in full or in part.

Media representatives interested in attending the public hearings can arrange access by contacting Mike Rudon at Tel/WhatsApp 671-0731 or Hugh O’Brien at Tel/WhatsApp 670-5865.

The Commission of Inquiry into the Sugar Cane Industry was officially established on March 19th, 2024, following the signing of a statutory instrument by Prime Minister John Briceño. The Commission’s mandate is to analyze the entire value chain of the sugar cane industry and provide recommendations on various aspects. A final report is expected to be submitted to the Government of Belize by November 30th, 2024.

The Commission is chaired by Mr. Wayne Piper and includes five Commissioners: Robert Mariette and Vinod Ramharai from Mauritius, Jeffery Joseph from Belize, Andrew Church from South Africa, and Simon Gibbons from the United Kingdom. Lorena Posada serves as the Secretary to the Commission, while Hugh O’Brien is the Lead Coordinator for the Government of Belize. The local coordinating team also includes Marcos Osorio, Chairman of the Sugar Industry Control Board (SICB), and Jose Novelo. Krity Neermul has been appointed Technical Coordinator to the Commission.