Mass importation of Guyanese rice would spell out disaster for local rice producers who can fully supply the local demand. But as we told you last night there's a profit to be made for the importer - and that alone could bring things to a head.

But, here's where it gets interesting. The importer is Jack Charles of Extra House Imports - and he says it's not about the profit - in fact, to hear him tell it, the importation initiative is almost charity. In a plain spoken press release issued this afternoon, Charles says that last year September, he found out that Belizeans are paying between $1.20 per pound in towns and up to $1.40 per pound in villages for a pound of local rice. He says this is, quote, "unjust profits shared by a group of few producers." He says he reached out to the CEO in the Ministry of Agriculture to ask him to enforce the price control of 69 cents per pound. But he says the CEO didn't take him seriously and so he, quote, "did...research to (import) Rice from Guyana to provide rice at an affordable price to all Belizeans."

So now Charles proposes to import Guyanese rice and sell it for 69 cents a pound - on which he says he would only make a profit of 10%. He says that with this price, Belizeans would save over half a million dollars monthly.

And while this would have local producers screaming bloody murder, Charles says that he is unapologetic, quote, "taking the decision to import rice which will benefit over 350,000 Belizeans, as against the selfish desires of few people that are actually benefitting in the rice industry."

And if you don't buy the Robin Hood act form one of the largest importers in the country, he says that once he does import the rice, the Ministry of agriculture can review his costs and his price to confirm that narrow margin.

And going from Robin Hood to Caped Crusader, Charles adds that he is doing the job that the Bureau of Standards should be doing, and he's welcoming, quote, "any inputs and information from the general public about any other product being sold at unaffordable prices. I will be more than happy to assist with those specific products also and try to make it available at affordable retail prices." Now...we've never heard that kind of talk and to back it up Charles - who is in Mexico right now - even gave his cell number, 610-4968. He says you can text or whatsapp your opinions to him.

And while all that happens in some alternate universe - on the ground the Government is staunchly refusing Charles a permit to import rice and he has indicated he may invoke the treaty of Chaguaramas to force them to let his rice in.