BCCI Pushes for Greater Transparency in Campaign Finance

The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) is advocating for increased transparency regarding campaign finances, emphasizing the need for clear and enforceable regulations. Although draft proposals have been introduced, no concrete measures have been finalized, leaving a significant gap in accountability during election seasons. Currently, there is limited public awareness about the substantial sums of money involved in campaigning or the sources of these funds, raising concerns about potential undue influence and fairness in the electoral process. Katherine Meighan, President of BCCI, expressed the urgency of addressing this issue, stating that the process must be streamlined to ensure greater transparency, integrity, and public trust in the democratic system. 

Katherine Meighan, President, BCCI: “We have shared, and this is known, we’ve done this for quite some time, a potential regulation, a draft regulation for that to be considered. This is a topic that will continue to be a priority for us. Tax reform, corruption, labor force and matters related to that and also energy and infrastructure. Those are the fundamentals that we all need in order to create that healthy economic environment for the business community, but across the board as well. Because we all work together and each moving part that’s successfully moving can only benefit all of us. And if we’re not successfully moving together we’re going to have challenges. And we have those external shocks, if you want to call it that, that’s upon us that will happen, that will continue and probably will increase. So we need to prepare with that in mind. And, you know, corruption and the topic of preventing of corruption via campaign financing is a topic we intend to bring right back up with whichever administration wins. And it’s not going to come off the table for us because it’s the path to a healthy democracy, in my view. This is so important that we cannot get frustrated. It’s just a topic that needs to continue to move forward. And we have to do it because it’s in all of our interests to be able to see these paths through. And if you get frustrated, you might step back. You might not make the effort that you need to make. So we don’t have a choice in this matter. We have to move this forward. As you said, campaign financing, the OSH Bill, that remains a topic we continue to discuss it. We are where we are at the moment, where it’s being discussed, where there have been some changes to the regulation. So we’ll continue to push. And the thing with that is we have had and we have very good working relationships with the other members of civil society that are interested in seeing this move as well. So the hope is that it can happen sooner rather than later.”

in 2023, BCCI produced a draft campaign finance bill.