Budget goes to the Senate; business senator says it offers nothing to the youth
Mark Lizarraga
Unemployment, which currently stands at roughly twenty-three percent of the adult population below the retirement age, remains a socioeconomic problem that only seems to compound with the annual entrance of students into the workforce. But the budget for the current fiscal year gives very little consideration to the staggering unemployment rate, according to the private sector. Since taking office in 2008, the Barrow Administration has promised a minimum of five thousand jobs per annum; however, the number of jobs being created pales in comparison to the figures quoted in the lofty promise made four years ago. Speaking at today’s Senate meeting, Senator Mark Lizarraga, who represents the business community, stated that in order to begin reducing the overwhelming percentage of unemployed Belizeans, government would actually need to double the amount of jobs it promised in 2008.
Mark Lizarraga, Senator, Private Sector
“If we cannot roll up our sleeves and stop the bantering and name calling, if we cannot begin to work together through this book to provide for our unemployed which, based on the statistics, [stands at] twenty-three percent and upwards. I won’t get into that, but if we cannot begin to take care of our unemployed, if we cannot continue to create jobs or enable the creation of jobs for those, Mr. President, five thousand plus school children or however many we have leaving our school system every year, plus the thirty thousand that are now unemployed, you know, I did some relatively quick numbering Mr. President. In a very simply put way, for us to take care of those coming from school or those coming out of school and those presently unemployed we need to create in this country ten thousand jobs per year, ten thousand jobs per year at a minimum to start whittling away at the backlog. If we cannot provide an environment for the creation of these jobs Mr. President we will continue to be in the trouble that we are today.”
23% unemployment !!!
Could we lower the national unemployment rate by KEEPING OUT NEW IMMIGRANTS at least until the economy recovers and more legal Belizeans are working and supporting their families?
When you the pay people fu do nothing and behave the self how can you create any jobs I can see no use in this practice other than this pm has his own private army to do his bidding I would suggest that this pm might even be ordering the murders of some belizeans why else would he pay gang members for just laying around and playing dominoes all day wake up belizeans to all the people who have lost sons think about it gang members are being paid to kill certain people and who is their boss. His name is barrow.