Has National Assembly Been Asked to Approve 2 Billion Dollars in One Fiscal Year?

Anthony Sylvestre

But blank check or not…the appropriation bill was pushed through the Senate today. According to Opposition Senator Anthony Sylvestre, all be told, the National Assembly has been asked to approve nearly two billion dollars in just this financial year – that’s billion with a B.

Anthony Sylvestre, Senator, People’s United Party

“In March, when the budget was passed, we gave the government of Belize a cheque for one billion one hundred and fifty-four million two hundred and forty-one thousand five hundred and forty-three dollars. Not content with that, they came back in July and asked for another cheque and it was given to them; fifty-two million five hundred and fifty-seven thousand eight hundred and seventy-four dollars was given to them in July. They came back yet again, two weeks before, on the eleventh of September; we gave them another cheque for eighty million dollars. They come back today and they ask for another cheque…well it is two cheques—one for a hundred and sixty-two million seven hundred thousand and a blank cheque. Mister President, if you are taking cheques and taking stock that amounts to at this point in time—and this is without the blank cheque—what we know that we have authorized the government to spend so far this year is one billion nine hundred and twenty-two million dollars five hundred and twenty thousand two hundred and ninety-two dollars. That’s almost two billion dollars Mister President and they expect us to be happy and to be silent and to be quiet about that? Almost two billion dollars has been given to this government without the blank cheque.”

Godwin Hulse

Godwin Hulse, Leader of Government Business

“The sums of money appearing in the schedule hereto are hereby declared to be payable for the financial year. The sums of money appearing is one-sixty-two seven hundred thousand and as you know, and all of us know in here, the Financial Secretary takes charge of all appropriations and those are the sums he is authorized to pay. I move the question.”