Tonight, a little more is known about that container of leg hams that's being held pending BAHA approval at the Benque Free Zone. The fifty-five thousand pounds of ham still has not gotten BAHA clearance. But, the container which was Ecuador rejected one month ago seems to have some political clout pushing to get it introduced into the Belize Market. That's reportedly how it ended up in the Benque Free Zone and not at one of the major ports of entry. Additionally, we're told that this shipment of ham got a permit signed by a VET in Central Farm to have it moved to the Zone. But for it to get unto supermarket shelves, BAHA still has to give the O-K. They're performing tests to make sure the ham isn't spoiled. BAHA Director Emir Cruz told us, quote "we are awaiting...some relevant info."
And while that ham import request is going through a special BAHA screening, usually it's far simpler to import ham. Importers simply send requests for the importation of ham to the Bureau of Standards, which makes recommendations and then sends it to BAHA. The Bureau falls under the Ministry of Trade and Commerce. The Minister of State with responsibility for that is Tracy Taegar Panton and we asked her if she has personally worked on getting import permits approved for importers who may happen to be her constituents in the Albert Division:...
Hon. Tracy Taegar-Panton
"There are a number of importers in my constituency that has already received permits to bring in hams for Christmas, so we should all have a good one I hope."
Jules Vasquez, 7News
"But how do you weigh this against locally produced hams?"
Hon. Tracy Taegar-Panton
"Clearly in terms what we allow on the domestic market in terms of hams that are imported is measure against what we produced locally and so we look at what the demand is, we ensure that the locally produced hams whatever is produced that year is taken into consideration. The deficit is what we import from abroad."
Jules Vasquez, 7News
"I know that as a politician you also have to give out some hams for Christmas."
Hon. Tracy Taegar-Panton
"We do have a Christmas cheer program. We do offer coupons where constituents can go a grocery store and decide what they want to purchase with that coupon. But it is not necessarily limited to hams."
Jules Vasquez, 7News
"Is there any like quid pro quo then?"
Hon. Tracy Taegar-Panton
"No, not in the Albert Constituency."
Taeger-Panton says that in her division there will be a Christmas Cheer program where selected constituents will get grocery store coupons, not hams.
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