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We showed you our interview with Prime Minister Dean Barrow in which he said that both sides needed to work it out. Well, local cruise operators aren't taking to well to that, and they want more forceful government intervention in this dispute. Their Federation FECTAB, held a press conference to explain it today:

Tom Greenwood, President, FECTAB
"What was there within that contract given to the FSTV, that would then call it null and void and drop back to the 2017 contract which would have been ideal because then it will take about to the end of 2016 to complete this project at Stake Bank. There is no protection there. We are saying that the legal people responsible for drafting that contract were working for the government of Belize. They were being paid tax payers dollars - go in there and fix it! I am told by some of the best legal heads in this country that any contract can be fix. This is why we have legal people, so fix it. Make this happen. Otherwise tens of thousands of people and an entire industry will pay the price."

Geovannie Brackett, President - COLA
"That we denounce any contract that fetters the development of an entire nation. There is nobody, no foreign interest should be holding an entire industry hostage. We are calling on the government - you have gone after BTL, BEL, racket-up hundreds of millions of dollars in possible debt, but you are afraid to deal with Diamonds International and Royal Caribbean? This is a point where we need the Honorable Prime Minister to show his strength and his courage to step in and to deal with this situation. You cannot just watch an entire industry that represents about 25% of our revenue and you can just look at that and say those guys have to work it out."

COLA WILL lead a demonstration on Wednesday to support Stake Bank.