Christmas Cheer to Spread the Spirit of the Season

‘tis the season for giving and while Belizeans across the country are preparing their annual wish list, government has also put together its budget for the Christmas Cheer program.  This year, a sum of six hundred and fifty thousand dollars has been earmarked as funds to be used for social assistance across all thirty-one constituencies.  As expected, the opposition will receive significantly less than what has been set aside for members of the Barrow administration.  On November fifth, a memorandum from the Ministry of Finance was sent to the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Human Development outlining the sum to be disbursed among the respective constituencies.

Dean Barrow

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“Twenty-five thousand dollars for the elected ministers and half of that for the elected representatives of the Opposition.”

Reporter

“Sir, there is always that concern raised by the Opposition that there is not equity, in that they get half of the amount.”

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“Man, we are the government.  There must be a prize for being the winners of the political contest and there must be some recognition of the fact that as ministers, you have to work, not politically, but in terms of the duties of office and of government.  You have to work harder than the members of the Opposition do, so I think that is equity and I have no apologies to make.”