Leader of the Opposition Opens Budget Debate

Moses “Shyne” Barrow

The 2022-2023 budget debate kicked off this morning with Moses “Shyne” Barrow’s, the Leader of the Opposition, forty minute presentation. And, while he highlighted several line items, including education and national security, there was criticism that it was less about the budget and more a campaign speech for his party’s leadership convention on Sunday. Prior to today’s meeting, Barrow did ask for more time to prepare for today’s debate, but that was not granted. Here is the Area Representative for Mesopotamia on the twenty million dollars allocated to capitalization of the Central Bank; something he says could have been put to better use.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“This is a one point three budget of wastage and mis-prioritization. You have to look no further than the decision to capitalize the Central Bank with an additional twenty million dollars. When I spoke of it the member from Freetown got up and eloquently tried to correct me. But I stand by my position; this is another example of mis-prioritization. With the additional twenty million, creating a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. The problem is inflation. The problem we have is a housing problem. The problem we have is a poverty problem. Those are the problems we have. The Central Bank has had the same capital for the last forty years. It has not been a problem. You could have taken that twenty million dollars and invested it into education, the student loan scheme failing the Belizean people the housing, the minister, not just the Minister, Plan Belize promised ten thousand houses. Now, I appreciate the five houses you gave to Mesop as well as the other thirty one constituencies. But, unu like talk about lie. Me omitting Opposition Leader of the House of Representatives is not a lie. You, saying that you would give ten thousand houses in this term is a wrong lie and that is what this budget represents, a betrayal of the Belizean people Madam Speaker.”