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Jan 4, 2011

Should the PM be held to his word to bring down fuel prices?

After a hiatus during the holidays, we start the year with an issue affecting the daily lives of Belizeans from all walks of life; the exorbitant prices of fuel that have spiked well past the ten dollar mark. Back in March 2009, when a dollar tax was introduced the Prime Minister promised he would remove the dollar increase to “put things back in alignment for the Belizean people.” Tonight we ask: Should the Prime Minister be held to his word to bring down the prices of fuel? Get involved by emailing your comments and responses to questions@channel5belize.com or by sending a text, using SMART phones only, to 8686. You can also participate in our online poll at www.channel5belize.com.


Viewers please note: This Internet newscast is a verbatim transcript of our evening television newscast. Where speakers use Kriol, we attempt to faithfully reproduce the quotes using a standard spelling system.

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24 Responses for “Should the PM be held to his word to bring down fuel prices?”

  1. Lucas says:

    This man has no word much less honour.

  2. Edward says:

    We are all people born with the capacity for reasoning. This reasoning gives us a voice and the ability to speak your reasons for being and feeling the way you feel. So now with all that is being done to us as a society and a nation; why now do we remain silent? We must now take our reasoning and capacity for reasoning to stand up and speak and be heard. There is no reason to be expressing your displeasure to the four walls of your room and there is no reason as is to express your displeasure on print (such as this) when only a few can inaudibly hear. I say stop complaining to ourselves and let the people that should hear it hear it. Why are we so afraid of our freedom of speech when we are guaranteed it under the same constitutional laws that they (the people that work for us) seemingly follow. When will we cease to be afraid of the truth? When will we be unafraid of speaking (what God Loves) the truth? Start talking my people for life is short and in these uncertain times it can be even shorter.
    Long story short, let our “leaders” hear our reasoning and that’s not a partisan view… it’s the God loving truth.

  3. rod says:

    not only is this a farse we also need to get rid of this pm once and for all he is a desgrace to the nation and the belizean people out barrow outtttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt.

  4. mmmmm says:

    Tax on fuel is a major source of revenue for most nations. Belize’s PM has no role or say on the global fluctuations in oil production/demand which dictates the price of crude. If GOB is to take away the tax, where will they generate revenue to run the country? Be real, oil is a limited resource, price fluctuates, and long term it can only go one way: UP. face it and adapt to it. drive less, live more sustainable lives, and instead of complaining support upgrades in infrastructure and mass transport for Belize, which is the only way forward. the real cost of fuel is way higher than what we are paying for it in Belize.

  5. Hardworking Belizean says:

    Most definitely he should keep his word of bringing down fuel prices!!! The poor Belizean people are already going through rough economical times to be burdened now with a hike in the price of fuel. Barrow & his administration & cronies don’t feel the pinch because all they do is sign vouchers at the gas stations which is then billed to GOB and at the end of the day who pays it? Us the poor tax payers who apart from our already sky high fnancial expenses have to additionally curtail their fuel expenses!!! As Edward said ” why do we remain silent?” Are we going to continue enduring everything and anything being pushed down our throat? What happened with the freedom of speech and democratic rights we always use to brag so much of? Are we all so extremely afraid of this PM & his administration? Food for thought.

  6. O. Walk resident says:

    The present fuel prices are just outrageous, there is no way that government can justify them. If you check the internet, the prices would be arround $3.00 U.S and the price for crude oil at around $90.00 U.S. DOLLARS. When the cost of crude reached $147.00 dollars before the world recesion, the cost of gas was around $10.00 and people were crying like crazy; what about now?? Check the difference in crude oil prices, there is no way that the present gas prices can be justified, period!

  7. Justice says:

    Actions speak louder tha words!

  8. Larry says:

    It’s OK,, the prices for oil and the tax we are paying for imported oil.
    But “Big But” why do we have to pay more then the Americans when we have easier oil access then they have?
    There is something very ungodly about that!

  9. Proud Belizean says:

    “Promise is a comfort to a fool”. These politicians always take the people for “fools”. PM promised that if the price of gas goes beyond 8/gallon, he would remove the dollar tax. It is in black and white so I believe that he should be held accountable and if he fails to do so, the people should demonstrate and demand that he drops the tax on fuel.

  10. ap says:

    If he removes the dollar from fuel prices, he’s going to add it somewhere else. Right?

  11. jose says:

    mek he add it pan cigarettes and liquor….

  12. chabelli says:

    when will this bald head bogus fraud follow leaders such as Evo Morales of Bolivia????????

  13. simon says:

    what happem the special tax on BNE what oil prices reach above $90 a barrel . It been over $90.00 for the last week. Let me guess some well high ranking government official is being grease up. BNE is making hundreds of millions of dollars every year. Media houses should make sure that these companies pay this special tax so that government and the people of Belize benefit and not the certain individuals.

  14. Initiate! says:

    “Promise is a comfort to a fool”. PM should learn not to make promises he has virtually no control over to keep!! Also agree with mmmm “Be real, oil is a limited resource, price fluctuates, and long term it can only go one way: UP. face it and adapt to it. drive less, live more sustainable lives, and instead of complaining support upgrades in infrastructure ” That is the only proactive answer to a foolish question and foolish promise.

  15. common sens says:

    With the quantitative easing techniques currently employed by the USA – the price of oil will continually rise. US dollar is slowly depreciating, making oil more expensive on any country that is tied to the US dollar.

    We are tied to the US dollar, as such, oil prices will continue to rise.

    Mr. PM – lets provide some relief. Remove taxation from fuel imported. Go through your budget and account for every cent that your government is spending. Look at the wages you are paying your Ministers, representatives and yourself first.

    The Government is representing me, and I certainly don’t see why you should be paying yourselves more than $200Bze a week.

    We are a small country – what is wrong with a small Government?

    Take a look at OUR oil fields that are currently producing or scheduled to produce in the near future. Learn how Chavez managed to control his countries oil sources.

    Just a few ideas!

  16. Kaylyn says:

    When the PM speaks it reminds me of the comic strip/cartoon character Charlie Brown…can’t do or say anything right. His words start sounding like mombo jombo after a while…”baffle you with brilliance and dazzle you with bs”

  17. Kay says:

    PM got tunnel vision or one track mind because he isn’t realizing BNE hasn’t done anything to help lower the country’s demand for foreign fuel what makes him thing they will be here for the country if there is a major oil spill on an offshore well…BP in the US isn’t enough of an eye opener for him.

  18. The People Had Enough says:

    In Canada I believe they tax the bejesus out of cigarrettes and liquor; tax it tax it tax it to death for all I care, give the Tourism Industry a fighting chance by lowering the fuel costs and other tourism related costs and tax the hell out of luxury items; i mean look at all the rich a holes driving around in hummers and escalades, these people should be taxed to death.

  19. common sens says:

    Kind of agree with you “The People Had Enough”, it is gut wrenching watching a large Hummer (owned by one Business man linked with the tourism industry) pass by on the narrow streets of the city……the money for fuel to supply that vehicle to traverse a few miles of the City streets would be enough to feed a family for the day (or more).

    Yet – if someone works hard and makes money honestly, why should they be taxed to the extreme? Investigated on their source of income, yes, but not really taxed extremely. Will kill private enterprise and innovation, a source of income for many employees – just stagnate the economy even more.

    Alcohol and cigarettes ( along with legalized weed) should be taxed to the hilt, that I agree with.

  20. ivan cal says:

    yea I agree this PM BARROW has taken the Belizeans for fools, HE NO only promised to lower the cost of fuel,killa vat [GONE UP AGAIN UNDER THE UDP}, electricity, the cost of living ‘NO MATTA WAT” BUT PROMISED more jobs, bring more investors, he no cares wat we think because he ,Lois young barrow, his pikney’s and cronies…knows wen they get kiked out of office they are already super MILLIONAIRE’s FROM OUR TAX $$$….he just got big mouth and doesn’t care if parents have food on the table for the pikny or have money fi pay school fees-& buy groceries …remember everything has a limit and hungry people are angry people and are having enough with this gov’t- ,but like d saying goes ‘DA FOOL D TALK BUT DA NO FOOL D LISTEN”.

  21. rootsman says:

    If “A promise is a comfort to a fool” then I guess it would be right to say that, “He or she who breaks a promise is a low down dirty liar”

  22. Earl Grey says:

    HOLD HIM ACCOUNTABLE…………

    KEEP THE PRIME MINISTER HONEST…………. ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS!!!!!!

  23. Edward says:

    I am sorry “The People Had Enough” and “common sens” I have some bad news for you two and for all Belizeans that sees logic in taxing alcohol and cigarettes; the Government would never levy any sort of high taxation on these two industries because the people that have interests in these sort of businesses owns the Government and therefore owns us. Yes the same people that drive the narrow city streets in their Hummers. They contribute on the double in the misery, ill health and death that visits us as a people. Just as a crack dealer seldom uses their own product that they are peddling these people reap the fruits of their ill-gotten labor. Their children aren’t out on the streets begging for their next meal because dad or mom drank out the whole pay cheque or because they are strapped down with medical bills from the drinking and smoking. I say why aren’t these people that create such misery in our society taxed heavily at least to monetarily give back to society for the work force it prays upon. Sure they are directly to blame in a sense but do we say the same about a crack dealer for what he sells to our fellow people? Let them give back to at least help the government fund the public hospitals where they help send them.

  24. Eve says:

    The fuel prices in San Pedro are even higher! FOR GOD SAKE PM, RUN THIS THING GOOD OR STEP DOWN WITH DIGNITY!! TIRED OF PAYING RIDICULOUS GAS TO DROP MY CHILDREN AT SCHOOL!

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