Leader of the Opposition on Belize International Music and Food Festival

While Mahler touts the upcoming festival as one that promotes Belizean music and cuisine, the United Democratic Party is calling for transparency and accountability in the handling of the three-quarters of a million dollars that the Belize Tourism Board is investing in the festival. On Tuesday, the opposition issued a release referring to the event as “a desperate rationale put forth… for spending seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars of tax payer’s money to finance a private money generating venture.” The release went on to say that the United Democratic Party condemns the “wasteful spending.” They urged the Minister of Tourism to redirect the sums of money towards a true national event. Opposition Leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow stopped by our studio today to tell us why his party is of the view that Minister Mahler is wasting taxpayers’ money.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

Moses “Shyne” Barrow

“I think the problem is a problem of mal administration, wastage and a distract divide and conquer tactic gone wrong. The Belizean artist were due to be in Belmopan at the house committee meeting protesting the arbitrary wonton taxation that is being proposed, that would tax them out of existence, tax them out of what they don’t have as artists. Artists haven’t been working for two years due to COVID19 and so they timed this press junket the same day these artists were suppose to be in Belmopan protesting and so they tried to make this festival about the Belizean artist. And, if you are going to do that don’t caress me with your words, help me with your action. Show me what it is based on your action. So, the numbers will tell us how committed this government is to the Belizean artist and the numbers don’t reflect that. No one is saying a Belizean artist is to be paid the same as a Grammy award winning musician. Now, if we had a Grammy award winning Belizean artist then yes the rates are comparable. The dispute is we are spending tax payer dollars. This is not a PPP. Usually this type of concerts is collaboration between private sector and the public, but when you have the government of Belize paying tax payer dollars then there need to be a level of transparency and accountability because that is what good governance is all about.”