What You Can “Eat” in Streets and Drains

Dean Barrow

Prime Minister Dean Barrow has described his 2018-2019 budget as one of consolidation. A point of pride, he said, is that the hallmarks of his administration, such as the pro-poor programs have not been touched. As for infrastructure, he offered a counter to the Opposition’s suggestion that people can’t “eat” streets and drains.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“Madam Speaker, I close by saying that I made clear from the start: this is not a budget of pyrotechnics; it is not a budget of fireworks; it is a budget of consolidation and recovery. But even as we proceed in this measured fashion, we continue to do the things that have become a hallmark of this administration; the things that have succeeded in socially as well as physically transforming this country. All those pro-poor programs; all those education subsidies; all the paying for the CXC’s – all of that is not touched one whit. Those things continue to be rolled out, continue to move forward. And our infrastructure drive proceeds apace. Weh dehn say – “you can’t eat street?” I like the guy who came on the T.V. and said, but those streets give me the jobs that pay me, so that I can buy the food to eat. That is why unemployment is down, and job creation is up.”

The Budget was adopted by majority and now goes to the Senate for debate on Tuesday, March twenty-seventh.