Commission of Inquiry on Belize Sugar Industry Holds First Meeting

The Sugar Industry Commission of Inquiry held its inaugural meeting on Wednesday, May 29. The meeting was held virtually.

A government press release says it had the participation of Wayne Piper, Chairman, and the five commissioners: Robert Mariette and Vinod Ramharai from Mauritius, Jeffery Joseph from Belize, Andy Church from South Africa, and Simon Gibbons from the United Kingdom. Also in attendance were Lorena Posada, Secretary to the Commission; Hugh O’Brien, Lead Coordinator for the Government of Belize; Marcos Osorio, Chairman of the Sugar Industry Control Board (SICB); and Krity Neermul, Technical Coordinator for the Mauritius team.

According to the government, the meeting focused on discussing and agreeing upon the general plan for the first phase of work, along with associated logistics. This phase will include visits to the mills at BSI and Santander, as well as farm and field trips to sugar production sites in northern and western Belize. Commissioners are scheduled to begin arriving in Belize during the first week of June, with logistical support provided by the SICB.

This commission aims to examine the entire value chain of the sugar cane industry and provide recommendations to the Government of Belize.

The commissioners aim to complete their report(s) by the deadline of November 30, 2024.