Senators Weigh in on $69 Million Supplementary Appropriation

Kevin Herrera

Business Senator Kevin Herrera and Union Senator Elena Smith also weighed in on the matter. Senator Herrera contended that during the budget debate he flagged the sum of money that was being allocated to the Ministry of National Defense and Border Security as inadequate. Senator Smith argued that while public officers and teachers sacrificed for the benefit of the country, the nation’s economy is once again weakening.

Kevin Herrera, Business Senator

“In my presentation at the budget in April I had pointed out in the Ministry of Defense that the numbers had seemed very off and I had said that because in that budget you had personnel protected at one thousand eight thirty-eight. There was no increase in this coming year and the actual amount expended on salaries and wages was fifty-six million dollars and this year it is forty-three million dollars even though the number of personnel remained the same. There were other areas as well. I think supplies were about nine million dollars less than what it was as well. So, I am not surprised that we came back this quickly for ministry of National Defense and Border Security for seven hundred and eighty-eight thousand dollars.”

Elena Smith

Elena Smith, N.T.U.C.B. Senator

“We are concerned as the National Trade Union Congress of Belize in terms of brining this supplementary appropriation here before us so quickly after the budget exercise. And while we understand there are areas within this document that are important and necessary, we believe it is concerning because we are in June. What will happen months from now and we will end up in the fiscal year where we end up. And we keep saying form our end, that while we as public officers and teachers sacrificed for the benefit of this entire country to get us out of a hole, we are slowly inching our way back into that hole.”