Prime Minister Briceño Tours Southern Belize
November twentieth will make three years since Prime Minister John Briceño has been in office, elected by the people of this country. For the past two days, the PM has been on the ground engaging not only with voters and residents, but he’s also having pep talks with students in Toledo and Stann Creek, as he is on a tour of southern Belize. Today, he was in Dangriga where he was joined by Area Representative Doctor Louis Zabaneh and Mayor Robert Mariano and a News Five team caught up with him at one of the many stops along his tour. He says that it gives him an on-the-ground perspective of some of the accomplishments and challenges in the south.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“The best way you can know what’s going on on the ground is by being on the ground and as the prime minister, I have been staying locked up in the office for too long so right now I just the drop everything and take an opportunity to get a firsthand look. I was in the Toledo district with Honourable Mike Espat – my condolences goes out to him; his wife passed away a few days ago. And now here I am with the Dangriga area representative Honourable Louis Zabaneh and also the mayor talking and looking at the work they have been over the past almost three years. I must commend both of them for the wonderful work that they have been doing in Dangriga. But at the same time taking opportunities – we were in Hope Creek issuing a few hundred lots to Belizean citizens and now here looking at ITVET. Looking at some of the challenges that we are facing; the environmental challenges, the over-mining in the communities. The mayor and the councillors were telling me that they are not getting enough sand as they did before to replenish the beaches so we are having erosions. And as I mentioned earlier, some of the best beaches in the country is in the south and so we need to protect it for future generations. Looking at the challenges of water, expansion of lights in the town [and] looking at the pier. How can we partner with the area rep and the mayor? As to the pier, should we fix it and keep it the traditional pier, should we build a new one? Those are the things for the experts; I am not the expert so it is an exciting time. This afternoon, we are going to be at the call center, inaugurating a call center.”
We’ll have the inauguration of the Ready Call Center in Dangriga in Thursday’s newscast.
