Musa Lashes Out at 'Foriegners' in BTIA

The Cabinet has asked the Prime Minister to renegotiate government's April 29th agreement with Carnival. And the Prime Minister has agreed to pursue what he characterizes as minor, discretionary changes. Whether Carnival will agree to make changes to an enforceable, sovereign contract is, of course, another story. But after weeks of having the Carnival contract passed about, one thing is for sure, the Prime Minister now knows who his friends are, and their numbers do not include hotel owners.

The leaders of the Belize Tourism Industry Association in particular have publicly stated their utter disregard for the agreement and its architects. Well, as the nation found out at Friday's house meeting, two can play the name-calling and finger-pointing game. The Prime Minister used his national platform in the House of Representatives to call out the BTIA leaders as foreigners.

Hon. Said Musa,
"I listened to some so-called representative of BTIA calling this contract outrageous, condemning it. I would say here, for the record Madam Speaker, that these people should not expect that this tourist industry should be owned exclusively by them; foreigners. The Belizeans have every right to participate in this industry and this cruise industry policy, when its implemented, will ensure, and the Carnival project too will ensure, that this project be expanded to give Belizeans a chance; an expanded chance in the tourist industry."