Faber and Fonseca Spar over Unions
During his rebuttal to the budget presentation, Leader of the Opposition Patrick Faber raised the issue of outstanding taxes owed to the Government of Belize. He commended the current administration for its decision to allocate funds to beef up tax collection; however, he questioned whether the Briceño administration has the political will to go after large companies with outstanding tax debts. Faber lauded the unions for standing up against the proposed salary cuts. In response to those remarks about the unions, Freetown Area Representative Francis Fonseca called out Faber for his “new found love with the unions.”
Patrick Faber, Area Representative, Collet
“How is it that you are going to all of a sudden enforce such actions when there is very little, other than the little money you put in to beef up such activity? No additional personnel. No additional materials. No additional equipment. And most importantly, no political will to implement such actions on people who are friendly to you party, like those big business men who of course will tell you that deh nuh deh pan that. Some of the very same business people, Mr. Prime Minister, who funded your general and municipal campaign. Talk is cheap Prime Minister. It is for that reason that the unions incredulity says to you, “No Sir, we are not taking a salary cut because you are not serious about these measures.” The fourth step in your recovery plan, again fuels the incredulity of the joint Unions and the Belizean people.”
Francis Fonseca, Area Representative, Freetown
“The Leader of the Opposition he has a well-earned, well deserved reputation for being anti-union. Now we hear him claim a newfound love for the unions. Well Mr. Leader, you talk about anti corruption. You had twelve years to address anti-corruption and you and your party did nothing. All of a sudden you are concerned about waste. And let me tell the leader this: I can assure you leader, despite your overtures to the unions, I can assure that at every single consultation with the unions, the joint unions has made one thing absolutely clear to us. Whatever differences, their words, whatever difference we have with the P.U.P. government, Faber and the U.D.P. will never be the answer.”
