Sugar Industry Commission of Inquiry Holds First Meeting

Since its formulation in March, the Sugar Industry Commission of Inquiry held its first meeting on May twenty-ninth. The session was held virtually, led by Coordinator, Hugh O’Brien and Chairman, Wayne Piper. O’Brien said the first meeting was a good one and the commissioners all charted a plan of action going forward. O’Brien said that when the commissioners visit Belize next week, they will conduct site visits with the various cane farmer associations as well as to cane fields in the north and west of Belize.

Hugh O’Brien, Lead Coordinator, Sugar Industry Commission of Inquiry

Since only the secretary of the commission is in Belize, Mr. Wayne paper -chairman is in Belize as well as Mr. Jeffrey Joseph, who is the agronomist, those are the only three people in Belize. The other commissioners are all from abroad.  One is from South Africa, one from, the UK and two of them are from Mauritius. So the meeting was held virtually and it actually lasted for just about three hours and very good first meeting. It was the first time commissioners sat together and they started to – first they reviewed what was their scope of work, and they set in place a partial plan as to how they intend to get their work carried out. In particular next week, there will be a visit to the different cane farmers associations. There’ll be visits to the fields, both in the north where sugar is produced by small farmers as well as the fields in the west where sugar is produced more by larger farmers and by Santander and there will be physical visits to the factory, to both factories. These guys who have been appointed to the, commission of inquiry, they have great expertise in both, in the case of two of the commissioners their deep expertise in how sugar mills operate across the world. And the other two guys also have great expertise in terms of all sugar is grown and yields and the various components of having a very successful very integrated and very successful sugar industry. And they also have requisite experience in terms of some of the legislative matters that can help to guide the development of a more sustainable sugar industry