Rising Opposition as BTL Moves Toward Speednet Acquisition Vote

Tonight, pressure is rapidly building against the proposed buyout between Belize Telemedia Limited and Speednet. This comes as reports surface that BTL’s board is preparing to vote on the acquisition as early as Tuesday. The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry isn’t pleased. In a release issued this morning, the Chamber called on the government, BTL’s controlling shareholder, to step in and put the brakes on any binding decision until real, meaningful consultation takes place. According to the Chamber, BTL has agreed to meet with them on Wednesday, but any board vote before that would make the meeting feel like nothing more than a formality and show, in their words, profound disregard for the concerns of the business community. Speaking to News Five, BCCI President Giacomo Sanchez said the Chamber remains troubled by reports that provisional approval may be pushed through without proper dialogue. He emphasized that decisions of this scale, especially those affecting competition, public funds, and consumers, must be transparent, well-informed, and inclusive. Anything less, he warns, risks undermining public confidence and good governance.