Leader of the Opposition Questions the Timeliness of Port Acquisition

Moses Shyne Barrow

Aside from the reason for acquiring the port, Barrow also questioned the timeliness of the transaction, at a time when there are other pressing issues that the government ought to give urgent attention to, such as teachers and crown counsels who have been shedding light on their working conditions.

Moses Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“It also begs the question if we have $200 million to give our corporate interests, why don’t we have that money to deal with the teachers to deal with the crown councils who are complaining that the criminal justice system is broken because they don’t have adequate security? They don’t have adequate resources are public health facilities are still in shambles. We don’t have a CAT scan, but we have 200 million to settle debts and to, again, the settlement of the debt is separate from the acquisition of the port. So I don’t really want to conflate it, but I understand that part of the negotiations is, well, you want to settle this, this has to be, uh, included. And also, the Belizean people are no fools. We recognize that the government got itself into this position because the trust fund for the boys, the pension plan for the boys, which is the Portico Agreement, must go on. So the Belizean people really have to question why the urgency is now to spend $200 million if not to continue with that corrupt Portico Agreement.”