I.D.B. Loan to Provide Safety Nets for Vulnerable Populations Affected by COVID-19

Forty-five thousand persons have benefitted from the COVID-19 Relief Programme by the government; fifteen thousand were directly employed in the tourism industry. Those were the figures presented by Doctor Carla Barnett during the Senate Sitting today. The senate also debated a request for an additional twelve million U.S. dollars, this time from the Inter-American Development Bank for a second phase of the programme to offset the loss of income among Belizeans due to COVID-19.  P.U.P. Senator, Doctor Louis Zabaneh stressed the need for investment in the employer, while Senator Lizarraga was in favour that persons, who have not received assistance, should now get help.

Mark Lizarraga

Mark Lizarraga, Senator for Private Sector

“What concerns me is the long term sustainability of whatever we do. I know it is a given that we have to have this programme. I know that it is a given that many more people need help.  I want to see the plans as well that will not only include more people but include more people that were not captured madam czar. I’ve heard you and I’ve heard your co-czar about the screening about the lack of information, etc. but somehow Mister President, I get the impression that a lot of people who really do need help—I’ve had people call me from San Pedro, I’ve had people call me from Caye Caulker, I’ve had people call me from Corozal, from San Ignacio and say Senator I’ve been trying to get on, all I can do is give them the number. A lot of people still need help and genuinely need help.”

Louis Zabaneh

Dr. Louis Zabaneh, P.U.P. Senator

“There needs to be urgent attention, a shift of focus—not to sustain unemployment but to sustain employment. It is important that future loans, investments must go to make sure that micro small medium and large enterprises do not fall and cannot get up again. Because if they are left, Mister President, too long hurting, they will go into bankruptcy and they will not be able to come back and employ those very people that we are trying to help. So at least certain components of these ought to be focused on assisting those businesses that are hurting. And yes we’ve heard that there are some plans, possibly through D.F.C., etc to give better terms for loans, but it has not been done. The fact is that months have passed, and no pun intended, the patient is lying on the bed suffering and about to die.”