B.Y.M. Scrutinizes Budget – A Youth Perspective

Josue Carballo

The 2015-2016 Proposed Budget by the Barrow Administration will be heavily debated in the next two days at the National Assembly Building where it is expected that the Opposition will poke holes at the proposed expenditure and revenues of public funds. But even before the debate, which is expected to be a fiery one, the youth arm of the People’s United Party, the Belize Youth Movement, held a press conference today at Independence Hall to provide their assessment of the budget estimates, from a youth perspective. Breaking down the numbers at today’s press briefing was P.U.P. Orange Walk East Standard Bearer, Josue Carballo.

Josue Carballo, OW East Standard Bearer, P.U.P.

“We believe that youths must become the motor and the driving force of a much needed revamped, vibrant and modern economy. We must take to task and be willing to adapt to the times to seek assistance, to be able to protect our youth. I will be looking at current employment stats, looking at the current budget and seeing where there are areas of opportunities. And thirdly about recommendations about what we can do to fully be more inclusive and attentive about our youths and youth employment. When we look at statistics from 2008 to 2013, the number of registered employees included in Social Security stats decreased by two hundred and seventy-eight; the number of active businesses inclusive, decreased by over five in five years. The number of new jobs seems to have also increased by five thousand six hundred and seventy-two within those five years. The first two information is alarming because you see now that there are less registered businesses which means that we saw a shrinkage in our economy. Even though there have been an increase by five thousand six hundred and seventy-two jobs within those five years, however, if we do the math and we realize that every year there is an increase of over four thousand new high school and tertiary level institution’s graduates that means that within those five years there were over twenty-four thousand new job seekers, so where are they getting placed? Where are the jobs being created for our newly educated?”