It seems that of late a number of our Party’s operatives are working on either the encouraging of greater participation in their present executive or expansion by inviting new members.

Both the Cayo South and Belmopan executive committees have taken the decision to invite new members to strengthen themselves, and other executive committeess have already called indicating a desire to do the same.

This is very encouraging in light of the recent decision by the Party’s Executive to agree to a calendar of activities, to be adopted at the next National Party Council, which include a number of important events that will take place right up to April 2012.

Among these activities is the election of new local executive committees as mandated by the constitution and the election of new standard bearers in December 2010.   These activities, of course, will come after the National Convention.

The general consensus of the National Executive is that it is better that the elections for local executive committees be held after the constituency elects a new standard bearer, thereby ensuring a group that works well together.

Of course there are some who have questioned whether the strengthening of executives by invitation is constitutional. Truth be told, the constitution is silent on this matter, but then again the Constitution in a living document.  Also, this has been the conventional practice for a very long time.

Under the leadership of the Right Honorable George Price, local executives were encouraged to be more inclusive and many took advantage of the opportunity to strengthen their executives. As such they were able to attract young people, replace members who were inactive or worse, deceased. This was done because everyone understood that the work of the party must go on.

For example, in Orange Walk North in 1974 when a new standard bearer was elected, he was allowed to bring in new members in the executive when the then Area Representative lost his bid to represent the PUP in the next general elections.

In 1992, in Orange Walk Central, the then Area Representative was having a problem within his local committee. There was a split within the executive and the only way he could have solved the problem was by bringing in new blood. That was when I was invited to join the Orange Central executive as its new chairman.

The PUP has a proud history of inclusiveness. In the late 1960s there were two firebrand young lawyers attracting lots of attention with revolutionary ideas. What did Mr. Price do? He invited them under the big Blue tent. Those two young lawyers were Said Musa and Assad Shoman. The same can be said of young Evan X Hyde and Lois Young.  There were also others like Ms. Signia Yorke a prominent Belizean educator – all three were invited to join the PUP City Council team in 1977.

As Party Leader the Hon. Said Musa likewise invited new dynamic leaders under the tent. Some of these leaders included Jorge Espat, Henry Canton, and both Deputy Leaders Cordel Hyde and Mark Espat.  All have made great contributions to the success of the PUP.

When I was elected the new leader of the PUP, I spoke about opening up the party once again. I wanted our party supporters to feel that they have a real stake and say in the party.  We need the support of ALL of our supporters, both from the left and the right, from the old guard and the new guard.

If we are to be successful and turn this 12 percent swing around, then we need everyone; success can only be achieved by opening up the Big Blue Tent once again, welcoming home all members of the PUP.

Every member of that executive will tell you that the task of rebuilding and strengthening the PUP in Belmopan is a challenging one. Our supporters explained that most people in Belmopan are either working directly for the government or have a family member that works for them and people are scared of political victimization, something that seems to have become a policy in this UDP administration.

Never in the history of our young democracy have Belizeans experienced the viciousness of any government as they are doing today under the UDP. It is so bad that many Belizeans are afraid to be seen in the company of the PUP leaders. They are afraid of losing their jobs, their scholarships or losing their house lots.

Of course there are other challenges facing the PUP Belmopan executive; one of the most difficult is uniting the different groups of PUP supporters in the area. Over the years as different personalities have emerged in the area, they have managed to attract loyalty which has not been passed on to their successors.

This all started in 2004, after the untimely death of Agripino Cawich. Since then the PUP in Belmopan has been struggling to work in a united and cohesive manner and finally, things are starting to change for the better.

At Monday’s meeting it was most encouraging to see past and current leaders meeting together in a spirit of unity. Each leader who was present made a pledge to unite, to support the work of the PUP Belmopan committee and to fight this vindictive UDP government. They recognize that our country comes before any differences and that support must be given to Ms. Leslie as the Chairman of the PUP executive.

When we look at the PUP at the national level, we see that what is happening in Belmopan as it relates to people’s fears is not unique. Belizeans all over are still afraid of this UDP Administration, but as the UDP nears its mid-term, their honeymoon is ending.  Belizeans are starting to talk up once again and the fear is being replaced by disappointment and frustration.

Every day we hear Belizeans calling the talk shows complaining about the corruption, mismanagement and gross negligence of the UDP government. Belizeans continue to complain about the government’s inability to build a bridge at Kendal. They are complaining about the Ministry of Health’s incompetence in dealing with the dengue fever outbreak and of course they complain that their area representatives are missing in action.

Yet while Belizeans are complaining and are clearly fed up with this UDP Administration, we in the PUP must also follow the example of our supporters in Belmopan. We need to accept that the best way for us to defeat the UDP is together.  We will win if we unite as one PUP. If we in the PUP accept that notion that Belizeans are suffering, then it must be our expectation that as PUPs we must once again lead the charge to save Belize and do what is necessary to move this country forward again.

There may be a few dissenting voices within the PUP; there have and always will be dissenting voices, that is democracy, but let us not ignore the big picture. We have to keep moving forward understanding that our Party belongs to the people and that all of us who call ourselves PUP are called to serve, especially the needy.

Long live the People’s United Party!

There are serious problems in the Police Department, many of which must be addressed immediately.  Far from the most urgent is the need to deal with overweight officers.

In a recent meeting with some members of the Belizeans for Justice it was terrifying to hear that in the streets of Belize City there are allegations of police involvement in the drug trade and stories about the influence certain gang lords have over some members in the Police Department.

Such circumstances give cause to the question: how can our young democracy survive this onslaught of lawlessness and corruption in our society?

Whether it is a good thing or a bad thing, the reality is that we in Belize take our democracy for granted. In this connection, Belizeans have always had a superior attitude over our neighbors, who after years of despotic leaders, are now struggling with their democracy.  For many Belizeans the issue of mordida, petty hustling and corruption in government and the Police Department was a Central American issue, not a Belizean one. Drug cartels and gang lords, executions and the like were things that only happened around us, never Belize.

Unfortunately these Cartels have slowly crept into our society like the “mata palo” vine, a parasite that slowly kills the tree. Almost daily the news reports of young Belizeans being senselessly slaughtered and there seems to be no end to the senseless violence.

Looking at Central America, our neighbors are fighting to regain control of their countries and it has been a very difficult and costly fight.  Three years ago, Mexican President Calderon declared open war against the Mexican cartels. It has been a battle that is defining his presidency and the future of Mexico’s democracy.

A few months after assuming office in 2006, President Calderon deployed 50,000 troops in a frontal battle against the narcotics cartel. He had crooked cops removed and in some cases incarcerated while he fought the drug cartels.  Three years later, the pace of killings is soaring and public security worries are beginning to affect the tourism industry, which employs one out of every eight Mexicans.

While the Mexicans are fighting to restore law and order, Guatemala is also in the middle of its own battle with the drug cartels.

In March 2010, the US State department informed that between 275 to 385 tons of cocaine are transshipped yearly through Guatemala, enough to supply US demands.

Drug gangs operate largely unhindered and homicides continue to soar. Last year of the 6,451 people murdered, only 230 persons were found guilty. Ninety six percent of the killers got away with their crimes.

According to International Crisis Group from Brussels, as many as seven of Guatemala’s twenty-two provinces may not be under government control.

Guatemalan President Alvaro Colom has fired more than 2,000 corrupt cops; jailed two of their last Police Chiefs and two Interior Ministers are fugitives.

With everything that is happening around us, it was inevitable that eventually our peaceful way of life would be affected. The question for us then is what can we do?

As a society we have to first start to obey the law, not just a few, but all of them.  Second we need to stop glamorizing drug dealers and gang leaders; from the music we listen to, to the friends we keep. Next we must all report when government officials and police officers demand a bribe from us.

As government we must become a lot more serious about stomping out corruption among political leaders and among government employees.

Yes, we need a fit and health conscious Police Department, but let us start by dealing with the more important issues.  And all of us must understand that unless we as a people urgently start to protect the rule of law, we will lose our country.

In the midst of all this hype, however, a sporting controversy is brewing over Belizean basketball and that is the appointment of Coach Marques Johnson as Head Coach for the Belize National Basketball Team (Team Belize).  There has also been a lot of talk about the donation of over $100,000 to send team Belize to play at CentroBasket in the Dominican Republic.

For the past nine years Mr. Kevin Siroki has been coaching Team Belize and our team has been doing quite well internationally. Under his leadership, we have won gold in 2001, silver in 2006, gold in 2008 and silver in COCABA in Cancun in 2009. Everyone will tell you that Siroki has earned the respect and loyalty of many of his players.

While no one questions Mr. Johnson’s talent as a basketball player, some are concerned about his lack of coaching experience as well as the timing of this appointment, since we are so close to the competition in the DR.     Anyone who know about team sports will tell you that good coaches take time to build good teams.

So for many of us who love basketball, the million dollar question is will Coach Johnson have the time to build a relationship with his players and put together a team that can bring back gold?

A few years ago, the national team was comprised of six foreign based Belizeans and six local Belizeans. Today we have ten foreign based Belizean players and only two local Belizean players and this is of concern to many Belizeans who are asking:  Where are our local players? Why is it that we are not producing good enough players here at home? Where are the guys like Pulu Lightburn and Duck Garnett who went away, developed their skills and returned home to share their talents?

Every Belizean citizen will agree that sports are an important part of national pride. More directly, sports build discipline among athletes, are an excellent part of healthy living and provide recreation for everyone.  Many life skills are learnt through sporting activities, skills like team work, cooperation, a spirit of excellence and the ability to manage victories as well as defeats.

Regrettably, as important as sports are to our nation, we have not been treating them as a priority.  I know of no politician who gets excited about the thought of being made Minister of Sports.  The truth is however, that sports is a lucrative industry all round.  It creates employment not only for semi professional athletes but for food vendors, entertainers, security personnel and many others.  It provides jobs and it provides clean entertainment.

Belizeans on a whole are talented; we have plenty of space and lots of sunshine to develop our athletic skills and talents.  We have many friends who would be more than willing to assist us with the technical knowledge to make us competitive in many sporting discipline.

It is the role of government then to take a hard look at where we can excel, develop a plan in cooperation with the stakeholders for athletics and put forward the blueprint for achieving success.

We need to start in our primary schools, teaching our children the fundamentals of a various sports, developing their skills from an early age and helping them appreciate gamesmanship.

We also need to develop regular summer sports program such as the one developed by Cordel Hyde when he was Minister of Sports. This program catered for over 1,000 kids for the entire summer in Belize City alone.  Here is where we start to harvest talent and recognize the best of the best.

Next comes the secondary schools programmes, where the development continues and then onward towards greater mastery of a sport.

This is how we will develop our home grown talent and this is how in the end we will make any “Team Belize” a true reflection of ourselves.  It has to begin with the political will to make it happen.

In the meantime, we must lend support to anyone who wears the Belize jersey for they represent our national pride.  Go Team Belize!

While it is unfortunate that a well know athlete and educator Aubrey Lopez was murdered and Rodwell Williams, a prominent Belizean attorney is clinging to life after being shot, these incidents bring home the fact that violence can strike each and every one of us without warning. These incidents bring home the fact that for a long time now, crime has moved away from being an issue stemming from and affecting only residents of the so-called south side.

From the beginning for the UDP’s term in office, different sectors of society have been complaining that crime was getting out of control. We in the Peoples’ United Party, as early as August 2008, brought this issue into prominence and called for a bi-partisan approach to fighting crime, which we believe is not a partisan political issue.

Crime affects everyone, from the young men killing each other to children left behind and their grieving mothers and loved ones who cry out for justice.  Crime also has an effect on business people, and it affects the ordinary citizen who has to spend more money on personal security.

Unfortunately, it took the Prime Minister almost two and a half years to finally recognize that crime was a “national crisis” and he promised to personally lead the crusade against crime, make necessary adjustments to his Cabinet and present a National Crime Policy to the nation.

Before the announcement of a Cabinet reshuffle, many people were aware that the Minister of National Security would be replaced.  When the reshuffle was finally announced, the Prime split the ministry in two and appointed Senator Douglas Singh as the new Minister for the Police. Minister Perdomo remained as Minster of Defense and Immigration.

Douglas Singh, a well-known businessman, is not known for having any special knowledge or experience in law enforcement; as such many question his appointment as Minster for the Police.  While Singh has some managerial skills that could be used in the execution of his duties, his resume is limited when it comes to issues of law and order. We certainly wish him success and will support his efforts whenever and wherever they constitute a serious, committed and credible plan to rid our country of the scourge of crime.

On June 2nd, 2010, one day after the Cabinet reshuffle, the Prime Minister finally unveiled his plan: Operation Restore Belize. It is a multi-layer approach to fighting crime.

Within these four layers, there are six sub-committees that will do the actual work, according to the Prime Minister; addressing Police Department reform, Human Development, Legislative and Judicial Reform, Establishment of Safe Zones, Municipal Government and Infrastructure, and Communications. Members from the different sectors of our society, including the Opposition, will be invited to participate, or so we have been told by the Prime Minister.

We in the PUP have been very clear that we will support any credible and serious government initiative to fight crime. But at the same time we will be making recommendations and we will continue to work on our policy position.

Fighting crime requires an attack on all fronts and the sacrosanct role of the Judiciary will be integral. Over the past few weeks we have been hearing reports from the media of the strained relationship between the government and the Office of the Chief Justice.

Under the constitution a Chief Justice or a Judge who reaches retirement is allowed to finish all cases that they have started even if they have to stay beyond their retirement age.  It seems that the governments has a different interpretation and has given a deadline for the Chief Justice to demit office whether he concludes his cases or not.  This has forced the Chief Justice to stop all cases he has been hearing and reassign them to other judges.  This will cause untold delays and unnecessary cost to Belizeans who are trying to get their cases heard.

It does not auger well for our democracy to have the executive branch and the judiciary embroiled in controversy, especially at a time when crime continues to wreak havoc on our national development. More so, if Operation Restore Belize is to succeed it will require long term planning, a lot of resources and it will require a meaningful relationship with the judicial branch of government.

Working with the NGO Community to design and implement the National Protected Areas System Plan was one of my biggest achievements as Environment Minister.

For years Belize has been enhancing its reputation as an eco- friendly nation, a reputation earned because of our practices.  More than a third of Belize is under protected status and everyone takes pride in the Belize Barrier Reef being designated a World Heritage site.

When I became Minister of Natural Resources there was no plan or national policy guiding the work in protected areas.  In devising such a plan, endless debates were held about the amount of protected areas in our country. Some argued that too much of the country was under protection while others said there wasn’t enough. It took more than a year of consultation and negotiation for the NGO community and the ministry to eventually complete a National System Plan.

Fundamental to this plan was the issue of sustainable development. We had to ensure that central to all our decisions were the Belizean people – we have to meet their needs today without compromising the needs of future Belizeans.

As a government, we always had to keep this fine balance between development and the protection of the environment and the Department of the Environment (DOE) was always caught up in the middle of these discussions.

Of the many conflicting issues, one that created many heated discussions was oil exploration in Belize. Before the first commercially viable oil field was discovered in 2005, there was little interest from oil companies, however after that many companies started to express renewed interest in all the available blocks in Belize. It is during this time that several NGOs started to raise concerns about the exploration for oil in protected areas.

One of the first to raise this concern was the Sarstoon-Temash Institute for Indigenous Management (SATIIM). US Capital, an oil company, had a Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) for oil exploration in the Toledo district that included parts of the Sarstoon-Temash National Park.  SATIIM felt that the National Parks Act prevented any commercial activity and they also strongly felt that any discovery of oil in the park could destroy the ecology of the area. SATIIM also opined that if any activity were to take place in this area, there must be clear rules of engagement including the preparation of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and that it must also be clearly spelt out how the indigenous communities would benefit financially from this activity.  I did not stay as Natural Resources Minister until the end of our government’s term and left before this issue could be resolved.

Today the NGO community is expressing serious concern about oil exploration, particularly offshore oil exploration. Feeding off the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the environmental damage being caused as a result of this spill, all Belizeans should be concerned over the potential damage of offshore drilling, especially how a spill could impact our Belize Barrier Reef.

It is however unfortunate that the Vice President of Oceana, a new NGO in Belize, decided to take a different approach than having a rational and constructive discussion on the issue of offshore exploration.  Oceana’s Vice President, instead of arguing on the merits of a ban on offshore exploration, decided to make unfounded accusations, spin incredulous stories about the nation’s territorial integrity and impute the character of some outstanding public officers, going as far as accusing people of treason.

This is very regrettable, for I believe that the Environmental community in Belize must keep its focus on the issue, which is offshore oil drilling and the exploration for oil in protected areas.

I firmly believe that we need to have a moratorium on offshore drilling to allow for us to have a rational discussion on the future of offshore drilling.

We need to put our resources to work to foster meaningful development, but always in a sustainable manner and always in the best interest of our national development.

But even in the midst of this painful loss, we are grateful for the times we shared with him.

I know that the Castillo family is carrying the greatest burden of this loss; his wife and family members who were by his side throughout his battle with cancer. Today I want each and every one of you to know that you are not alone, we are all here for you and each and every one of us here showed up to celebrate the life of this good man, but more so to let you know that you are not alone in this; the entire community and yes, the entire PUP family is here with you to share in the celebration of Frankie’s life and to help to dry your tears.

For us in the PUP Francis “Frankie” Castillo J.P. was not just a PUP, he was our Party Chairman, a person who loved the Party and was always a good, hardworking Party Member.  He was a divisional chairman; he was an advisor to PUP supporters countrywide, but especially here in the south.  For him the Party was indeed bigger than any single one of us.

Frankie Cas’ actions were that of a man who loved Belize, and who loved the Belizean people.  He was always ready to serve the people in any way possible. He was our Senator, a man who never flinched to do his part for his country.  He was active in the Roman Catholic Church and he was a strong family man.  He liked to say that the 3 most important things in life are his religious beliefs, his wife and his party.  In fact he used to say it like this: “There are three things I will never change – my religion, my party and my wife.”

Frankie also loved Dangriga and Dangriga loved him.  His two terms as Mayor of this town were testament to his commitment to public service, and he was not just the man in the office; when that alarm sounded, he stepped out as a volunteer fire fighter, putting himself in harm’s way to save life and property.  He led by example and he lived a life sharing whatever he had with others. There was never a moment when he did not want what was best of his family, what was right for his community and what was right for Belize and of course pleasing to his Creator.

His example inspired us; his legacy will push us always forward.   Frankie wanted to live in a country where all of us could have a chance to be the best we can be always working for the good of one another.  He loved God and he loved his neighbour as he loved himself.  He respected his family and appreciated his friends.  His kindness will always be remembered.

Frankie Cas left this world a better place than the one he was born into.   He did his work and now he is gone on to his eternal reward.   We should honour him by always trying to do right; we should show our gratitude for his life by keeping him in our hearts and always in the service of others.

Thank you Mr. Chairman

Thank you Mr. Mayor

Thank you Senator Castillo

Go now and be at rest good friend.

Our Chairman argues that when we stray from our guiding principles, we abandon those basic tenets which ground us as PUPs to our philosophical moorings.

In the past, the leadership and many influential Party Members were accused of this; the claim was that we were no longer able to define ourselves and as such some leaders used this as an opportunity to do as they wished.

We were no longer seen as the party that “serves the people”. We were no longer the party that was working for the poor and underprivileged. The cry was that we were no longer the party the George Price built.  Instead we had become a Party that cared more for special interests and less about the people’s needs.  For the rank and file, we had to change and we did.

Today there is no question that the People’s United Party is still the greatest political party that has ever served Belize.  While we seldom name structures or build monuments to celebrate our work, there is no major accomplishment in Belize that does not carry the imprint of the PUP.

This is a part of our political culture, something that goes back 60 years and the reason we have grown is because we were always able to change with the time and for the people.  That is the secret to our legacy.

After gaining independence, one of our greatest milestones, the Party had to change; how to effect that change resulted in an intense ideological quarrel in the Party. These were some difficult times as we tried to redefine ourselves. There were those who said the communists were planning to take over the Party and this forced the capitalists into action.  This became a protracted debate which almost tore the party apart despite all the efforts of Mr. Price to bring the warring factions together.  By 1984, the euphoria of independence was gone and the division resulted in the Party suffering its first defeat, a crushing one!

It was after 1984 that many party supporters believed that the party started to stray away from its principles; from its message of social justice and more towards the special interests. Pre-independence, the PUP was considered a social democratic party meaning the party believed in gradualism and that the government must have a strong say on issues pertaining to the economy yet work hand in hand with business to bring about development.

Today, our party supporters are telling us that they want the PUP to go back to being a more inclusive party and to rededicate ourselves to the job of serving the people.
For this new leadership and in this time, the task is not only to return the party to those principles and to get back to our philosophical mornings, but also to make the party relevant to this political usage.  To do that we must embrace new ideas, welcome new people and we in the PUP must never ever forget who we truly serve – the Belizean people.   The only way we will win back the confidence of the Belizean people is for us to learn from our past mistakes, say never again and move forward living the principles of social justice and in the spirit of the Party’s Constitution which calls on us to love our country and work for the betterment of all Belizeans.

It was a good discussion. Mr. Brackett was passionate about his position against offshore drilling. He provided many examples of countries where offshore drilling had caused untold damage to the people and country. He explained the five-year process the US government goes through before approving a license for oil exploration.

For her part, Ms. Matura was more measured and as a trained attorney, was meticulous in her position calling for a ban on offshore drilling. She cited tourism and economic figures pointing out that Belize has much more to lose with offshore drilling. She also pointed out that Belize has a large coastline community and we are threatening the way of life for thousands of Belizeans including our fishermen.

Ms. Marura went further to state that the Belizean marine life, while among the best in the region, is also threatened by other activities taking place in the area. Her position is that adding oil production would only make the situation worse.
Since the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico a few weeks ago, Belizeans have expressed grave concerns about oil exploration. Belizeans are watching on TV as hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil are spilling into the Gulf of Mexico.

With all its technology and financial muscle, the US government and British Petroleum (BP) have been unable to close off the oil well 5000 feet below sea level and it continues to gush millions of gallons of oil into the gulf.

What horrifies many viewers is the callousness of BP.  Despite their obvious responsibility, they are refusing to accept blame and forcing the fishermen that are helping in the clean up campaign to sign agreements that will exempt BP from any financial liability.

I guess the question on the minds of many Belizeans is whether we are prepared to deal with an oil spill the likes of the one currently in the Gulf? Do we have the technology available to act quickly to prevent these disasters in our waters? Do the oil companies have the financial resources to pay the government or would it be easier for them to declare bankruptcy and leave? Does the Petroleum and Environment Departments have the human capacity and equipment available to properly monitor what’s happening offshore and thousands of feet below the sea?

These are just some of the questions that need to be answered before we can proceed with offshore drilling. But the most important question in the minds of many is, can we gamble with God’s precious gift to Belize, our Belize Barrier Reef?

The Peoples’ United Party has always felt that God has blessed us with natural resources or “wealth untold”.  As such we feel that we must use these resources sustainably and that it must be used to fight our greatest enemy – poverty.

Poverty continues to plague Belize. In the last country poverty assessment, we were horrified to find out that 142,276 Belizeans or 43 percent of our population is considered poor. In middle class families, 90 cents out of every dollar earned is consumed by food and utilities. We cannot continue this downward spiral for it will only lead to more poverty.

In the PUP’s 1998 manifesto, we declared that if there were oil in commercial quantities, we would find it. We did and today the oil industry has provided $104,688,076.69 to the government. By any measure this is a lot of money. Still many of us believe that we are not getting our just share.

Our first oil field discovery generated lots of excitement and interest in Belize. All our available blocks for oil exploration generated much interest, especially offshore where very little studies have been done. It is in this exuberance that these blocks were contracted out.

Today, two years later, Belizeans are having a severe case of cold feet.

With the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, UNESCO’s announcement of the possibility of delisting the Belize Barrier Reef as a World Heritage Site, the Association of Protected Areas Management Organization (APAMO), COLA, Belize Audubon Society, Oceana condemning offshore oil exploration and a recent channel 5 e-poll showing 86 percent of those responding against offshore drilling, it is time for the Government of Belize to rethink its position.

I believe that until all these questions can be clearly answered to the satisfaction of Belizeans, the Government must stop the exploration for oil in our seas.

During the meeting shareholders, including children—Miss Jane informed me that since the children were also shareholders, the children were welcomed – listened closely to the report.   It was an impressive report, indicating that HRCU had total assets of $348.3 million; total loans of $218 million of which $77,768,477.99 were loaned out last year. This $77 million in loans were made up of loans ranging from housing to education and from medical to business.

Despite the slowing down of the Belizean economy, HRCU reported impressive profits, netting $25 million.

The best part of this is that like HRCU, there are other impressive credit unions around the country. Of late, La Inmaculada Credit Union (LICU) has been making great strides in modernizing and expanding its facilities.  This weekend LICU will hold their AGM in Orange Walk Town.

At the AGM, they will report total assets of $25,408,065, a loan portfolio of $20,699,0404, of which $11,823,015 was loaned out last year. This $11,823,015 was loaned to 4,280 of their members.  Yet despite the hard economic times, and with all the problems in the sugar industry, La Inmaculada Credit Union will report a healthy profit and will recommend a dividend on savings.

Credit Unions in Belize are no longer these small financial institutions. All of them started off very small with a few members; today the credit union movement has a membership of more than 111,000, or one in every three Belizeans.

In Toledo in 2000, Mr. Oscar Requena and Mr. Fuentes, the then president of the Toledo branch of the Belize Teacher’s Union encouraged the teachers to start the Toledo Teachers Credit Union. They started with 87 members and $7887.50 in capital. By 2009 they had grown to 5,300 members and capital of over $8.4 million

Over the years, these institutions have grown not only in size but also in the services they offer. Today credit unions offer money transfers, provide ATM services, offer fixed deposits, insurance for its members and even assist in the preparation of legal documents, not to mention the size of loans that credit unions can offer to its members.

In 1986, after my brother and I had just graduated from university, we attempted to get a loan from the banks to start a business. We were rejected because we had no credit history and no one to guarantee our loan.  Since we were both members of La Inmaculada Credit Union from boyhood, we managed to get a loan to start off our first business.

Like ours, there are thousands of stories where the credit unions have helped its members with loans ranging from a few hundred dollars to thousands of dollars. And despite these huge numbers of mostly small loans, the delinquency rates or non-payments of loans of most credit unions are low.

For example, the latest report form the Central Bank stated that the delinquency rate at the banks range from a low 4.8 percent to as high as 22.6 percent. At the Belize Small Farmers and Business Bank, their delinquency rate is as high as 60 percent, while the delinquency rate at HRCU is 3.7 percent and at LICU it is 2.65 percent.

Many may ask, why have the credit unions been so successful? The answer is simple; the members are the owners of the credit union. They elect their board of directors and have a close look at what is happening.  Their interest rates are lower than the banks while at the same time the credit unions offer a wide range of services.  With all this, they manage to keep their operating costs low and their profits go back to the shareholders.
In good times or bad, it is clear that Credit Unions in Belize will continue to grow both in size and strength and as they do they will continue to offer a wider range of services, rendering it the real peoples’ banks.