Sugar Industry Bill Signed by the Governor General

Belmopan, 21 January, 2015. The Sugar Industry (Amendment) Bill which was passed by the House of Representatives on the 19th January 2015 and by the Senate on the 20th January, 2015, has been assented to by the Governor General, Sir Colville Young.
The Act was published in the Gazette today, 21st January 2015, and copies are available at Print Belize, Belmopan.
The main object of this Act is to secure to all cane farmers the freedom of association guaranteed by the Belize Constitution. It will no longer be compulsory for a cane farmer to belong to the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association or any other association. The membership of an association shall be entirely voluntary.
The Act also provides that there may exist more than one association of cane farmers and the Sugar Industry Control Board shall have the power to register all associations. After registration by the Board, an association shall automatically become a legal entity and may hold property, open bank accounts in its own name, and do all other things which a corporate body may do.
The manufacturers will also be free to accept cane from any association or from individual cane farmers or groups of cane farmers.
Every association may make its own bye-laws and standing orders to govern its internal management.
On the whole, the Act is designed to pave the way for the commencement of grinding seasons in a fair and equitable manner, after taking into account the legitimate interest of all stakeholders.
The Act shall take effect retrospectively from the 14th January 2015.