BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC – The Belize Port Authority (BPA) stated on Wednesday it has taken word of allegations suggesting irregular practices by a number of authorities companies in the course of the departure and return of vessels taking part within the Legacy of Champions Worldwide Fishing Match held in Roatán, Honduras.
“The BPA categorically denounces these allegations as they relate to the Belize Port Authority. Our mandate is to make sure the security of navigation in Belizean waters and to hold out our statutory regulatory capabilities in accordance with the legal guidelines of Belize and the relevant Rules,” the BPA stated in a press release.
The BPA assertion comes after Jorge Aldana, who was on one of many 9 groups that left San Pedro for the occasion, claimed on social media that “No Belizean must be charged to depart or enter the nation by a personal Belizean-registered vessel…
“But after we go to compete in fishing tournaments in Mexico or Honduras, we’re charged BDZ$100 (One BDZ$=US$0.49 cents) by Immigration Division officers, BDZ$100 by public well being officers, BDZ$100 by BAHA officers, and $100 by Port Authority officers.”
Aldana known as the fees “unfair, unacceptable, unlawful, and a corrupt scheme run by these public officers on Ambergris Caye.
However in its assertion, the BPA stated following an intensive overview of the documentation submitted by the masters of vessels that departed Belize for the event and upon their return, the BPA can affirm “that there was no irregularity on the a part of the Authority” including that “all processes had been executed in strict compliance with established procedures and consistent with our authorized obligations.
“Particularly, information present that the person making these allegations was not a grasp of any vessel, however fairly a member of the five-person crew on board a taking part vessel. “
The BPA said that, in line with documentation submitted to it, the grasp of the vessel utilized to depart from San Pedro on September 9, offering all required documentation, together with the crew record, which recognized Aldana as a part of the crew.
“The BPA verified the documentation and issued a proper Departure Clearance to the vessel’s grasp. In accordance with the Belize Port Authority (Tariff) Rules, the relevant departure clearance charge was collected, and an official BPA receipt (No. 122794) was issued.”
It stated that upon the vessel’s return to San Pedro on September 16, BPA officers carried out the necessary Boarding for Entry formalities relevant to all ships arriving from a overseas port.
“The BPA officer carried out the required inspection and accomplished the official BPA Boarding Kind … duly signed by each the BPA officer and the grasp. The relevant entry charges had been collected consistent with the Tariff Rules, and an official BPA receipt …was issued to the grasp.
“All documentation, together with clearances, boarding varieties, and official receipts, has been collated and securely transmitted to BPA headquarters for compliance overview and record-keeping. These information reveal clearly that the Belize Port Authority acted correctly, transparently, and inside the legislation.”
The BPA stated that it doesn’t, underneath any circumstances, “condone irregular actions” and “due to this fact reject and denounce any such accusations made in opposition to our officers with out proof.
“We take this chance to remind all vessel operators and crew that the BPA’s procedures and documentation necessities are important to making sure maritime security, safety, and compliance inside Belize’s territorial waters.”
