A public contradiction has erupted between a Belizean construction firm and the country’s Social Investment Fund (SIF) over an existing business contract, stirring fresh controversy amid ongoing scrutiny over government payments to the company tied to a prominent local family. As of July 2, 2026, SIF’s top leader has explicitly confirmed that Fast Construction — a company linked to the Mira family via Keith Mira — did secure and carry out a contracted project for the state-backed development institution, directly contradicting a public denial the firm issued just days earlier.
The controversy first ignited after leaked documents from the Smart Stream platform revealed that Fast Construction had received more than $1.5 million in disbursements from the Government of Belize, with the bulk of those payments channeled through the Ministry of Defense. Facing growing public calls for transparency and allegations that it had received unfair preferential treatment from government agencies, Fast Construction issued an official statement on June 29 pushing back against the claims. A core part of the company’s public defense was an outright rejection of any assertion that it had ever entered into a contract with SIF.
That denial has now been directly refuted by SIF Executive Director Carlos Tun, who clarified the institutional position during an on-record interview with reporter Paul Lopez. When asked directly whether Fast Construction had ever won a competitive bid for an SIF contract, Tun confirmed that the firm had secured one award to date, under the Belize National Training Fund 10 (BNTF 10) program for the ITVET infrastructure project in Hope Creek, Stann Creek District.
Tun emphasized that SIF strictly adheres to procurement guidelines set by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the financial backer for many of SIF’s projects, to maintain fairness and accountability. He explained that CDB requires a mandatory prior review process for all procurement activity, meaning the bank must issue a formal no-objection approval at every stage of the bidding and evaluation process before SIF can move forward with awarding any contract. Tun added that Fast Construction is far from the only private construction firm that partners with SIF, noting that other established companies including LB Vega and CM Constructions also regularly bid on and complete projects for the fund.
When pressed on whether Fast Construction had secured any additional SIF contracts beyond the single Hope Creek project, Tun clarified that no other awards have been finalized to date. He did note that SIF is preparing to launch a new round of infrastructure projects, so Fast Construction could potentially submit bids and win additional work in the future — consistent with the bank’s formal procurement rules.
Tun also addressed unsubstantiated allegations about bid rigging that had circulated widely on social media platform Facebook, stressing that anyone making claims of improper dealing must back up those assertions with concrete evidence. All tender opportunities for SIF projects, he added, are published in local national newspapers to ensure open access for all eligible construction companies that wish to bid.
This report is a transcribed version of an evening television news broadcast, with all Kriol language statements adapted to standard English spelling for clarity.