Senate Debates Sixty-Eight Million Dollars Supplementary Appropriation

Eamon Courtenay

Last night, we told you about the Senate’s debate on the seventy-five million U.S dollar loan from the Government of Taiwan, as well as a twenty-five million U.S. dollar loan motion from the Central American Bank for Economic Integration. The Government of Belize is also seeking parliamentary approval to allocate an additional sixty -eight million dollars; only three months after parliament approved its one point thirty- six billion dollar budget.

Eamon Courtenay, Senator for Government Business 

“The Finance and Audit Reform Act requires the government to come to the National Assembly for approval for expenditure that has not been budgeted. We has given a commitment in this Senate to seek to comply with the Finance and Audit Reform Act and to bring to the National Assembly any expenditure that was not budgeted so that the National Assembly can have oversight over that particular expenditure.”

Phillip Willoughby

Phillip Willoughby, Opposition Senator

“How is it, and we gwen to the very basic, when you go to the store and try to buy the basic necessities, one cannot. How is it that again you come with this supplementary and say COVID, cost of fuel, no proper justification for this supplementary. Where is it?”

Isabel Bennett

Isabel Bennett, Government Senator

“If the people of this nation were not trusting and not having faith in the People’s United Party, we would not have had a landslide in the village council elections. The people are seeing and experiencing on a day to day basis the transformation.”

Jacklyn Burns

Jacklyn Burns, Opposition Senator

“I am quite aware that he government passed the budget three months ago for this financial year. It is a bit alarming that at this point we are coming back with a supplementary for sixty nine million dollars. We do have to ask the question; why in only three months we have come to the realization that we need an additional sixty nine million dollars.”

Janelle Chanona

Janelle Chanona, NGO Senator

“We certainly as active proponents of civil society engagement and citizen’s engagement are in full support of consultation and regular temperature checks, especially with something as fundamental as the legalization of marijuana. So, we see that any money spent to obtain a national vote on such an issue is critical.”

Collet Montejo

Collet Montejo, Government Senator

“Must I remind you guys, one point three billion by the Barrow Administration, without coming to this House, one point three billion which is the exact of our amount of our entire budget for this year You will go on record today voting against a supplementary, and the Belizean people must know how you voted. This supplementary says five million for the referendum. You will vote how? Say it man. You will vote no”

Senator Willoughby called for a division of the votes on the bill which resulted in eight voted in favor and three votes against. Two Senators were absent from the meeting.