7 News Belize

The Trouble In Free Zone
posted (May 3, 2017)

As we told you last night, the CEO of the Corozal Free Zone Valentino Blanco has been suspended for 30 days. But, Blanco’s attorney has written to the chairman of the Free Zone to say that his suspension is arbitrary, unreasonable and unlawful.  The lawyer adds that Blanco left the office yesterday under threat of personal injury.  We asked the chairman of the Free Zone Chamber - who was in the lobby applauding his departure about that:…

Jules Vasquez
"You all accumulated here in like protest."

Kishore Makhijani - Corozal Chamber of Commerce
"In protest but was a very peaceful thing, we didn't disrupt anything. Most of the time we were downstairs standing and then just because it's too hot so we told them let's come upstairs and we'll standing doing nothing."

Jules Vasquez
"So then the CEO finally left today and you all applauded him when he left?"

Kishore Makhijani
"Yea of course, we were very happy."

Gregory Gibson - Chairman, Corozal Free Zone
"I think the investors are pleased we have moved quickly to stabilize the situation and that is perhaps one of the biggest objectives of the board in introduction the suspension."

Reporter
"So within this 30 days is to have him removed completely?"

Kishore Makhijani
"That's what the private sector wants but it depends on the public sector and the chairman, let's see what happens because man we live in a funny world here."

And that funny business he speaks of is an allusion to the politics that have come into play. The Chamber president spoke about that as well:…

Kishore Makhijani - Corozal Chamber of Commerce
"The administration hired a CEO; we got two for the price of one, believe me. We got Minister Campos who's running things here, he's the Minister of Health, I don't know who gave him authority to come to the Free Zone."

Jules Vasquez
"That's just how the politics work. Was that a complicated factor in this? Is that his relative is a minister of state?"

Gregory Gibson - Chairman, Corozal Free Zone
"I think perhaps you could say that by virtue of that relationship it was more difficult than normal and I certainly felt that perhaps the staff because of that relationship that they did not have the kind open door relationship that could allow them confidentiality in terms of objectivity of the CEO that may have been the biggest issue."

Jules Vasquez
"There is political meddling in the zone. The reason there is political meddling in the zone is because there is money to be made in the zone."

Kishore Makhijani
"No I would not say that. The political meddling basically to my knowledge is because you see what happens all these ministers and representatives they want to please their constituency, so you know the CFZ act provides that Belizeans cannot shop in the zone. Okay liquor is very cheap in the zone, you guys know that right so these guys what they do is they give passes to their constituency members and come in and whatever right."

Jules Vasquez
"The reason politicians are interested let's put it nicely, there are many transactions in the zone for which no receipt is required that are cash transaction, this is a cash zone."

Kishore Makhijani
"There is cash transactions."

Jules Vasquez
"But we can't put lipstick on a big, I don't want to be unkind but a lot of the businesses in the zone is by the sell cigarettes or sell other things into Mexico which are not necessarily licit export. We know that cigarette was a very huge business here and it was just being smuggled and smuggled from one country to other to the other. That's real."

Kishore Makhijani
"See the thing is if it is being smuggled, let's say for argument sake it is being smuggled is what you are saying is true. Everything is being smuggled into Mexico, why are we talking? Let's talk to the Mexican authorities, how do we allow this? I don't know, I don't know Jules, I'm not being diplomatic here right, the fact is all these containers whatever goods come into the zone are legally imported."

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