So, while Hulse says the agreement has inbuilt flexibility – what about the Government? Are they flexible enough to consider bailing out the BSCFA from
its Fair Trade Funds fiasco? As we've reported, the organization has spent 6.5 million dollars of the funds for non approved purposes – that is, to put
directly into the pockets of farmers who are bawling on hard times due to the delay in the start of the sugar crop. That has meant firing 16 persons,
and cancelling all but one project under the Fair Trade initiative. And all this week, farmers have continued to line up to get their share, about 750
dollars, of the last four million dollars approved for disbursement at the special general meeting. So should GOB bail them out now? A-G Elrington is
not in favour of that:..
Mike Rudon - Channel 5 News
"There has been some talk within the BSCFA if perhaps requesting that government assist with the petrocaribe monies to replace the monies that was
dispersed recently."
Hon. Wilfred Elrington - Attorney General
"Why should the tax payers be asked to pay for deliberate actions on the part of some cane farmers who's actions were clearly misguided and wrong and
ill-advised? So those are the things that would go through my mind that makes it difficult for me to say well, I could support it."
Reporter
"Because they are arguing that they are under duress and what you are arguing would go against the people who the government assisted when it paid off
mortgages that they were not paying. There are consequences when you don't pay a mortgage in that sense."
Hon. Wilfred Elrington
"I don't buy the argument that they're acting under duress. If they're acting under duress it is self induced duress."
Later on, we'll have a little more Sugar-talk with those ministers
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