City Hall Bailed Out of BML Debt by Barrow Administration
Dean Barrow
Like on every night since Monday, there is a lot to report in the BML – Belize City Council standoff. We start with the news that government has decided to intervene, bailing out City Hall which is now nineteen weeks in arrears to the sanitation company. According to Prime Minister Dean Barrow, when he heard about the situation he immediately dispatched his Economics Affairs Ambassador Mark Espat to meet with BML owner Lawrence Ellis. The purpose of the meeting was to agree on the structure of a government intervention. Today, the PM outlined that agreement in phases – starting with the news that G.O.B. will be making payments to all BML workers from now until the contract expires in January.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“We will assume the obligations of the Belize City Council to the extent and only to the extent that those obligations involve the payment of the weekly wages for all the BML workers. Government has done this of course because there is no way we could not act in the face of a situation that saw works either having been laid off or about to be laid off. For us, this is not political; this is a matter of philosophical and deeply held conviction on the part of this government. We are not going to comment in any judgemental way on the circumstances that produced a situation in which workers either were laid off or were in danger of being laid off. But this government knew, I certainly knew, that we would have to find the money to ensure that these workers could continue being paid; to ensure that Mister Ellis and BML would not be obliged to lay off people. Whatever is the position with respect to the contract between the City Council and BML, the fact is that the City Council is way behind on its payments and in those circumstances, one understands why Mister Ellis would say to the workers well if the City Council isn’t paying me, I can’t pay you.”
Good going! “…we would have to find the money…” Who is we? Taxpayers of course. Let’s see how the budget and expenditure approval process works this out!
yet, again the country has to bail out belize city. belize city does not produce, only consumes, and yet we all from Cor, to PG, that produce and are taxed have to foot the bill. I’m not red or blue but it is a fact that the city is the red power base. That is why almost all the infurstructure work is being done in the city (which we pay for) instead of being done in the more productive areas of the nation.
Think about it next time you have to pay the high fuel tax next time you refuel your tractor. Or when you pay your income, bussiness, or GST tax. The money is going to Belize City. Why? So they can better produce, or so the bangers can ride to the next shooting on a paved road with out getting mud or dust on themselves, and we defenitily don’t want garbage on the street, the shooting victom may have something to hide behind.
red or blue more effort by the gov needs to be on the productive areas of the nation. production and business creates jobs, and with good jobs it lowers poverty and crime. Or just keep the taxes high kill business and production and just keep flushing the money down the belize city toilet.
God bless Belize we could really use Your help right now.