Help is for Everyone, Red and Blue

Dean Barrow

In respect of details of government’s relief assistance, PM Barrow reminded that everything his administration is doing to get the country through this crisis is with a view to helping everyone, regardless of political affiliation.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“As of today, then, twenty-three thousand two hundred and sixty-four persons have already been approved for unemployment relief, and their payments sent to their banks. Ultimately, this particular safety net will cover upwards of fifty thousand persons. Likewise, four thousand households, for a total of seventeen thousand beneficiaries, have received food baskets. This first tranche of that particular program is costing government twelve million dollars.  With the seventy-five million dollars borrowed from the Central Bank of Belize, we are able to help the unemployed for at least the next seven months. Furthermore, the pace of disbursements will continue to accelerate as we straighten out the processing kinks. The monies from the International Financial Institutions are taking some time to reach us, but they are coming. Thus, we expect at least thirty million dollars more for food assistance. And there should be one hundred million dollars to augment our already existing BOOST programme.  I close by making one other promise to you. All that we do is without regard to color, red or blue. No politician of any stripe will get hands-on any G.O.B. money, whether for unemployment relief or for food distribution. This is the way we have begun and this is the way we will continue.”