Opposition Says Barrow Budget is Uninspiring and Underwhelming

Eamon Courtenay

The Opposition, for its part, describes the budget as both uninspiring and insipid and therefore the party cannot lend its support to the budget that has ballooned into a massive deficit.  Led by Senator Eamon Courtenay, the People’s United Party proceeded to pick holes in the budget, particularly criticizing government’s failure to consult with its social partners for their input.

Eamon Courtenay, Opposition Senator

“We were presented with an insipid budget, one that offers no hope, no design, no new developmental demarche.  Instead what we have is a budget that is centered on a fifty million dollar tax bukut.  Madame President, the fact is, as has been said by those who spoke before me, that there is nothing in the budget that provides a credible policy response to the United Democratic Party-induced recession that Belize is experiencing.  There is no hope.  There is no plan.  There is no strategy and yes the UDP won the election but they have lost the will.  They have lost the ability to govern.  Indeed what we have is a lame duck prime minister whose minister’s, starting with his deputy, who are already abandoning the ship.  Madame President, we do not support the budget for the fiscal year 2016/2017 as presented.  It was concocted in the confines of the Cabinet room.  There has been absolutely no consultation with persons and organizations outside of the Cabinet and we condemn the government for preparing a budget like that.  By its design the budget sets out to impose and unduly harsh tax burden and that is wrong.  It fails to offer the private sector any incentive for new development.  That is wrong, Madame President.  The budget has no serious job creation policy and that is also wrong, Madame President.”