Alfredo Ortega
According to Ortega, the P.M.’s press conference last Thursday was unfairly weighted as it appeared that he was in support of ASR/B.S.I. While P.M. Barrow openly said that he expected the application for an order of mandamus to fall flat, the Supreme Court has set a date for the fourth week in February to hear the matter. That date was purportedly set because government’s attorneys have chosen to exploit the length of time afforded to them which leaves farmers with a later deadline for the start of the sugar crop.
Alfredo Ortega, Former Vice Chairman, B.S.C.F.A.
“As you know, the press conference of the prime minister was one-sided and he went all across that B.S.I. would not accept changes in the agreement that they wanted to be signed as is for a crop to start and if it is not signed then there will be no crop. So farmers were also awaiting what would be the outcome of the hearing of the mandamus order at the court because the prime minister had said that it would fall flat on the ground because, according to him, that the act is not good [and] that it has been called away from since 2010. Nevertheless, all this while from since 2010 the bodies that are incorporated within the act have been functioning so the act has been used as guidance and the court proved different to what the prime minister has said. But the situation is that the lawyer for the government and the lawyer for the SICB tried to use all the legal days possible to lengthen the period on which the court hearing could start. We have, we saw that the judge wanted to put a closer date but because of their legal opportunity that they have they tried to use that and she placed a date on the twenty-third of February.”
View the full article