Today the board of the Citrus Growers' Association had an emergency meeting in Belize City. It was held at the Maya Airlines conference room before an 11:00 am meeting with the Prime Minister at his Belize City Office.
As we have reported, there is a standoff between the CGA and the Citrus Products of Belize Limited -the company which buys their product and in which they are the majority shareholder. At an emergency general membership meeting two weeks ago, the CGA resolved to investigate the possibility of buying out Banks Holdings which is the minority shareholder. The CGA says Banks is the problem, but they would need tens of millions of dollars to buy them out.
And that's what led to today's meeting at the Prime Minister's office. Best information says the CGA is looking at the possibility of a government backed buyout. We caught the Prime Minister today after that meeting and he would only speak in very general terms but made it clear that moves are afoot:..
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"The meetings with them have been extremely productive. I think that if all else falls in place meaning if what's been pretty much agreed with them is supported as well by the other players, we have an agreement and I expect to be able to say definitively what the position is on Monday at the 10am press briefing."
Jules Vasquez
"However, I get the impression things are still in a fluid state in terms of you don't have everything in its right place at this time."
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"Not quite, not yet, but there are some more calls that I need to make this afternoon and there is perhaps one more weekend meeting to be held. I am fairly optimistic that when I see you on Monday and I am making the report to the nation that it will be positive."
That press conference he mentioned will be held on Monday at 10:00 am for the express purpose of discussing what an official release says is, quote, "the latest developments in Belize's Citrus Industry."
What won't be discussed at the press conference is any cabinet shuffle - the same rumoured one that spread like wildfire today. It said that Senator Charles Gibson will be replaced by new UDP Standard Bearer Elodio Aragon, and that John Saldivar will take up the Ministry of the Public Service as Aragon takes up National security.
To that the Prime Minister said quote, "absolutely not, that is not on at all," end quote. And, hopefully, end of story on that very catching rumour.
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