BBA President Fires Back at Transport Ministry Over Consolidation Claims

Last week, we told you that the Belize Bus Association has a new president, Phillip Jones. Well, tonight, Jones is speaking out in his very first interview with News Five in his new role, and he’s countering those assertions from the Ministry of Transport. Remember, C.E.O. Chester Williams said recently that the association no longer represents many of the bus operators when it comes to the ministry’s consolidation plans. Jones says, not so fast, most operators are on board with the audit process, but they haven’t made up their minds about consolidation just yet. And today, Minister of Transport, Dr. Louis Zabaneh, is weighing in on the debate.

 

Dr. Louis Zabaneh, Minister of Transport

“We have taken pains to explain to the public that in our conversations with the operators this is a stage process. That, we invited everybody to participate in the audit and that in no way had any obligation for them to be part of the consolidation, but it is a prerequisite to be considered a part of the consolidation. But it is a prerequisite. So, if we get to this point and you have not been audited, we cannot assess you on how you will participate in the consolidation. You will probably have to wait for another period before you are considered. So, we have made that very clear. So, there is no question about that part. After they have gotten the audit done and they know what their value is, they see what the opening balance sheet is, they then see the projections we can make based on the information received. Then they can make a decision am I going to join the consolidation. Because that was the whole premise in the first place.”