Musa: “People before efficiency”

Rumours ran wild today after an article appearing in the local press alleged that the Government of Belize will be laying off some of its employees in the near future. While that particular allegation could not be confirmed, according to a government source, G.O.B. will be undertaking several steps to cut back on spending. Apparently, the accounts of all ministries and government bodies will be reviewed and any sign of overspending, including utilities, will be dealt with immediately. One such area was the government’s telephone bill. Efforts to rectify that situation have already begun. Last week, government requested that BTL disconnect close to one hundred “non-essential” cellular accounts, whose bills were being paid by government. But the allegations of job terminations remain speculative. Ironically, today the Prime Minister spoke at a labour conference in Belize City. And while he declined to be interviewed, in his keynote address the P.M. spoke of “higher values than efficiency” and maintained that people must come first.

Prime Minister Said Musa

“We do live in an inter-dependent, inter-connected world. But this interdependence can only be meaningful if we put people first. Neither the national economy nor the free market is an end in itself; they are the means to an end. Our nation’s economic system must reinforce the bonds of national unity. For in the words of the French historian and philosopher, Ernest Renan, spoken a century ago, “a nation is a living soul, a spiritual principle…the nation like the individual is the outcome of a long past of efforts, and sacrifices, and devotions.”