7 News Belize

Guyanese Rice Importer Readying To Take BAHA To Court
posted (December 18, 2015)
Last night, we took you to Independence Village to show you what happened when businessman Jack Charles went to the Port of Big Creek to clear 3 containers of rice which he had imported from Guyana. The BAHA personnel at the port refused clear the containers, and seized them.

They did not provide him any written reasons for doing so, and that's where things are tonight. Charles, his lawyer, and his technical advisors are all waiting for BAHA to produce its position in writing, which they intended to use to appeal this decision.

Charles maintains that BAHA overstepped its authority yesterday, and took an unlawful decision. His experts say that BAHA can only choose to seize the cargo if it is a threat to human and agricultural health, which is not an issue in this instance.

So, the way situation is unfolding, this dispute looks to be on its way to the Supreme Court. Late yesterday evening, at an impromptu press conference, Charles told the press in Independence Village that litigation is the very last option:

Jack Charles, trying to import Guyanese Rice
"20% of the market consumption based on the current stats what is on the record, that will be 250 tons which is about 10 containers. I have only 3 so fare came in. 75 tons in the port. Currently I will just wait for a day or two. At least I will give them until tomorrow to see exactly if they have any legal grounds to present to me basically. But again, like I said, if they have their legal ground and the know the rice is coming on Thursday, from last week they know the rice is coming from Thursday, I was hoping that as I entered the BAHA office, along with a decision, I would have been just given a paper in my hand saying here it is, these are my grounds too - hold it and walk out."

"In the government there are a good amount of ministers, they are legal profession people and I am very much sure they do understand the law. I mean definitely if that is the last choice to go to court I will do that, but I hope people do get proper advice from their technical department and take a wise decision. Because what this had done, which I had shown just now is in the benefit of the community. What we are trying to do is basically import 20% of the total consumption of Belize of rice product and cater for poor community and at the end of the day everybody needs a better price on the rice no doubt about it, but we are trying to cater for the poor people and provide them rice on affordable price. And I like to mentioned that these are the same rice which were imported last year and bagged under Circle R bags, but none of the benefits were passed on to the consumer."

As you heard, Charles has publicly repeated that his motivation for importing rice and taking on the local rice producers is to provide consumers with premium grade rice at a cheaper price. He accused those producers being addicted to profit making - which leads to profit gouging on consumers. But, for nay business venture, it is all about profit, and we asked Charles - who is one of Belize's biggest importers - if he would be able to resist the temptation of this so-called addiction to profit making.

Here's how he answered that one:

Reporter
"What if I take the critical view that you are only doing that to attract the attention and to fooled the Belizean consumer in believing that will be the price they would pay going forward when you intention is to increase the price at a later date - to higher than its already right now?"

Jack Charles, trying to import Guyanese Rice
"Let me start from there. Our intention of bringing in rice was somewhere from March this year. But after hearing from different departments - press releases and so on, I thought it would have been fair to give them some time to fix what they had increased. We gave them enough time to do it. Otherwise I would have started my rice from March itself. Besides now, you are talking about the longevity if the price basically. I can assure that these price is going to last minimum 2 years and if any of the departments have any kind of doubts that down the road the price is going to go high, then why do we instead of putting a control price of 80cents and mentioning that C grade rice should only be sold for 80 cents, let's put it as rice to be sold as control price at 69 cents - where I can get tied up also and I cannot sell for more than 69 cents. I am open for that. If you guys or the government want to tie me up with the 69 cents per pound, then let's put the control price for everybody for 69 cents a pound - where I could afford to bring it in otherwise I will stop."

Daniel Ortiz
"I am asking for you to state clearly the commitment that down the road if your operation is allowed by Belizean authorities that you will not gouge the price."

Jack Charles, trying to import Guyanese Rice
"Minimum 2 year to the consumer would get 69 cents a pound and shop keeper would get 60 cents per pound. I will make my 15% markup, shop keeper will make their 15% markup and the consumer will get it for 69cent per pound."

As you've been hearing from the importers camp, they are convinced that the Government has only taken the position it has because is trying to protect the local rice farmers. Well, Charles's advisor, who was once a CEO in the Ministry of Agriculture, and a CARICOM representative for trade, told the press that this action against Charles and Guyanese Rice is an impending international black eye for Belize Trade. Here's how he put it:

Sergio Garcia- Technical Advisor, RC Imports
"You cannot lose a buyer to trade and this is what we consider a buyer to trade. In fact it was said in all the press releases that the government has said and BAHA has said and the other representative have said - is for the protection. They have never said it is to protect the agriculture health and food safety aspect. And the revised treaty of Chaguaramas - that you sells me, I buy from you. I sell you, you buy from me. It cannot be a one way. I want to say this because while the rice industry is 4 large families, and I said a monopoly because all of them owned the company which is Belize Food. They set the price and they do what they what. They speak about the bigger picture. The bigger picture is that we sell 7 containers of corn almost on weekly basis. We sell them beans. There is a trade between Guyana and Belize in our favor. So what if the Guyanese to take the same approached like what we are suggesting to protecting our national industry. Let's say that all the countries in CARICOM, oh Belize want to protect, let us do the same thing. What happens? Our products will start to stay here. There is much more corn producers than rice producers in this country and I am saying this because we cannot be like the sport I will play football and because the ball belongs to me, if you don't let me play I will take home the ball. We cannot. Trade is a two-way avenue."

Today, Charles told us via phone that he is giving BAHA until the end of today to give him the written grounds for detaining his cargo. Charles added that if they did not do so, on Monday, or at time convenient for his attorney, they will file a claim in the Supreme Court.

The local rice producers have already retained the services of Eamon Courtenay.

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