Anyone who watches the news should know Yhony Rosado, the outspoken member of FECTAB. But, that's what he does when no cruise ships are in port. On days like today when four ships made call in Belize City, Rosado is a top level tour operator, moving hundreds of tourists in his cavetubing.com busses. But this morning, BTB threatened to seriously cramp his style when they said he couldn't legally carry passengers because his company's tour guide license had expired.
Now, a license is two hundred and fifty dollars and Rosado has a multi-million dollar operation – not to mention his internet reputation as reliable operator to maintain. So why wouldn't he pay a few hundred dollars for a license?
Well, he did pay it, but BTB never registered it in their system properly. So, in their end of year review it came up as unpaid – which would make Yhony's operation illegal! We met him at the tourism village this morning upset and alleging a conspiracy:
Yhony Rosado - Tour Operator
"We came out this morning, and the personnel from BTB were claiming that my tour operating licenses are up. They were supposedly expired from September. I couldn't be operating from September, October, November, and December without a licenses. All of a sudden, 4 cruise ships are out there but they are penalizing me because I am one of the most outspoken person through FECTAB. If they want to shut me up, then just do the right things. FECTAB is all about fighting for the crumbs. All they try to do is quiet us. They cannot quiet the president of FECTAB, Mr. Tom, because we are crying because we can't make a living anymore. We been doing this long before PUP, long before UDP, and suddenly, under this Government, we cannot make it. The last time we met with the Government, the Prime Minister treated us so nicely, and we decided that the government of the day is down-to-earth. But all the hammering that has been falling on us is ridiculous."
Reporter
"Has the situation been rectified?"
Yhony Rosado
"Well, that's the reason I came here, but as you see, the guy walked away from me. I need the paper to prove that I am not licensed. They didn't have it. They made a phone call to stop me - the country does not operate on phone calls. We operate on notifications. If you are to be fired from a job, they need notify you. Everything is notification."
Reporter
"Has any of your buses, since the media came out here, been allowed to operate?"
Yhony Rosado
"Well, as soon as they say you guys, they made everything go smoothly. That is ridiculous, if the media has to be here, there, and everywhere. It's ridiculous."
As you saw in the story, Rosado has receipts proving he paid in December, and he was allowed to carry on his business as usual. The BTB says it is a clerical oversight.
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