Last night, we showed you how BNTU President Luke Palacio said that from his meeting with the representatives from the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he concluded that Government did not need to wait until December 9Â to sign the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.
During the news, two Government sources called us to say that Luke has it all wrong, and today, the Chamber confirmed that indeed he is. Their statement starts by applauding the Government’s commitment to sign unto the UNCAC.
Their statement says, “The BCCI also recognizes that the signing of the UNCAC triggers a time-clock for the effective implementation of a foundation framework that will enable the main sections of the convention: Preventive Measures; Criminalization and Law Enforcement; International Cooperation; Asset Recovery; and Technical Assistance & Information Exchange.â€
Their statement then says, quote, “it would be irresponsible and contrary to Belize’s interest to sign unto the convention without the advantage of such a roadmap, and so we will work with the Government to establish this roadmap in a timely manner….and we consider that the 2 months leading up to December 9th is sufficient for the working group to complete the road map.â€
Turning to other demands from the BNTU, the Chamber says that the commencement order for the 13th Senator can be signed at any time. The Integrity Commission should be appointed, and the restructuring of the Public Accounts Committee can proceed. The Chamber believes that these changes could complement the roadmap for the signing of the UNCAC.
It end by saying, quote, “Once again, we applaud the government on its commitment to sign UNCAC, but serious reform requires that these measures also move ahead.†End quote.
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