The People’s United Party joins other concerned Belizeans in strongly condemning the Government’s granting of a petroleum license to special interests.  This decision by the Barrow Administration to grant a petroleum exploration license in secret to the Prime Minister’s nephew is grossly hypocritical, cynical and was done without the legally required competitive bidding process.

The People’s United Party particularly objects to the Government’s decision to grant this largest onshore concession in a nationally protected area without consultation at a time when the entire question of petroleum exploration – both onshore and offshore -is under scrutiny.  It is also concerned at the cynicism of a decision to grant a license to a recently formed company without petroleum expertise in an area that geologists have repeatedly claimed to be not suitable for oil exploration.

The People’s United calls on the Prime Minister to immediately revoke this license in light of its obvious nepotism in relation to his nephew, Kimano Barrow and further express concern for the non-competitive basis on which it was awarded, and the absence of full disclosure of the terms and conditions included in the license.

The PUP also calls on the Prime Minister to make public the conditions under which this license was negotiated and approved in order to make good on his personal commitment to full accountability, and to honour his sacred pledge “to provide openness, honesty and transparency in the operations of his administration.”