A Chinese businesswoman in Belmopan has had her special gift to the Belize City Council returned. It was an envelope stuffed with fifty $50 dollar bills - nicely left on the city administrator’s desk on Tuesday.
The “gift” was reportedly from Liu Nan, the owner of Office Station an stationery and office supplies business in Belmopan.
The City Administrator Stephanie Garbutt handed the envelope over to the Mayor who wrote to Nan yesterday saying, quote, “this was not the first time you have attempted to leave a gift for her. The first incident she returned and asked that it not be offered again. Additionally I have received reports that you stuffed a one hundred dollar not in the hands of our Park Manager after he received the garbage bags that we purchased from you.”
The mayor continues, quote, “While we can appreciate gift offerings connected with various cultures, we are compelled to return. As stewards of the public trust, we are sensitive to any public perceptions that may result form anyone associated or in our employment accepting a gift.”
Today, the Deputy Mayor amplified these remarks in a press statement:
Oscar Arnold - Deputy Mayor
"Mayor Wagner wanted to reiterate that the issue at hand was an issue of something going against our gifting policy here at the council. Nothing else, nothing less, nothing more, mayor Wagner wrote a letter to one of our suppliers clearing the air that there's certain policies that have been implemented at the council, one of them being a gifting policy and that the gift that was left behind was in excess of what could be accepted."
Reporter
"And it was a gift for what? Services rendered?"
Oscar Arnold
"I really can't say what the gift was for, in some cultures, in some parts of the world that's a norm, for us in Belize because of the culture that we're trying to change here at the city council, it is not something that we want encourage. When we started to hear the words of any untoward stuff happening, that there was some mal-intent we wanted to clear the air because it's a company that we been doing business with before and it's a company that we've not had an issue with and so we want to continue our good relations with the different businesses that we conduct our day to day with. We wanted to also reiterate to residence and to businesses if at any time, you are requested by employees of the council that you have to provide gifts for any services that you're already paying for at the council, that this be reported as well because this a serious breach of our gifting policy here at the council as well."
The deputy Mayor says the council’s policy is that any “gift” over $50 has to be reported.
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