UDP Criticizes Government’s Failure to Establish New Industries

At this morning’s UDP press conference, one of the issues highlighted was the lack of new industries under Minister Kareem Musa’s portfolio. UDP’s Chairman Michael Peyrefitte criticized the government’s failure in establishing new industries that would, by extension, spell fresh revenue earnings for the country. According to Peyrefitte, while the government established the portfolio for new industries, since 2020, Musa has not worked to launch any new sectors.

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs: “The hemp industry is up and running in Belize, hemp meaning the CBD products. And so there is a company, Tropical Health, and Mr. Cesar Godinez is the owner and proprietor of that company and his products are being sold all across Belize. Of course, it has many healing qualities. We all know the CBD, it has those healing properties. And so I’ve seen that business take off. I would want to see more entrepreneurs in hemp. And then moving forward, of course, like I said, it is our administration’s hope that we can get cannabis sold so that we can have a responsible regulated industry because right now it is the illegal market that is in operation so to speak and we’ve seen how many lives have been lost because of the Gang Turf War. We’ve seen how there is possibly unhealthy products on the market in Belize. We do not know what is contained in these products coming from Mexico primarily and in some cases the United States and so moving forward we would want to have a regulated industry with laws, with taxation, whereby we can monitor the sale of these things and it’s not being run by the gangs.”

While Peyrefitte says nothing has resulted from the ministry, over the weekend, Minister Kareem Musa spoke on the hemp industry and its growth and potential expansion.

Michael Peyrefitte, UDP Chairman: “When the Minister of New Growth Industries was asked what the new industries have developed since November 2020 the man couldn’t give one. He said we have to look at that and hope for the in the event we form the next administration. So what have you gotten for your three billion dollars that they have borrowed ? Nothing.”

As it currently stands, it is legal to grow hemp in the country on the condition that a license is acquired.