House of Representatives first meeting for 2009
The House of Representatives held its first meeting for 2009 this morning… it was one of the shortest in recent memory, wrapping up just after noon. Four issues were discussed: an Environmental Protection Bill, a loan from the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) for three and a quarter million U.S. dollars for the Solid Waste Management Plan, an amendment to the Belize City Council bylaws with respect the fees for the collection and disposal of garbage accumulated by commercial establishments, and the twenty-million dollar loan for the revitalization of D.F.C. Nothing it seems that would cause much excitement, but as with any House Meeting, the topic doesn’t have to be controversial for sparks to fly from both sides of the floor. The first sparks came when Prime Minister Dean Barrow rose to introduce the Belize City Council Control of Garbage and use of Dumpsite Bylaws Motion, which was met with objection from Leader of the Opposition John Briceño and area representative for Freetown, Francis Fonseca. Briceño’s first issue with that motion was that the government wanted all three readings in one sitting, but the other was because he felt it was just another tax on residents… and with municipal elections several weeks away, they could not resist the opportunity to do some campaigning for their city council slates.
John Briceño, Leader of the Opposition
“I think it’s incredulous that the Belize City Council at the time when they are coming to the end of their term that they are looking to impose new taxes on the residents of Belize City because basically, what this is doing, Mr. Speaker, is imposing taxes on all the businesses. Small businesses now have to pay a hundred and twenty dollars a year for garbage disposal, then micro business eight hundred and forty-dollars per year. Small business will have to pay thousand one hundred and seventy dollars per year, a medium business will have to pay four thousand three hundred and forty-four dollars in new taxes. Large businesses will have to pay eight thousand five hundred and sixty-eight dollars and industrial customers will have to pay fifteen thousand, nine hundred and sixty dollars and that is only for picking up the garbage. If somebody wants to dispose of their own garbage, they also have a list of fees that they will have to pay. In a small motorcar—let me see how ridiculous it gets—a small motor car has to pay ten dollars per trip; entry by pickup trucks twenty dollars, entry of six wheeler trucks thirty dollars per trip, dumping by use of ten wheeler forty dollars, bumping by use of large containers fifty dollars per trip. This is another reason why we need to change that entire set that is running the affairs of the city council on the fourth of March.”
Francis Fonseca, Area Rep., Freetown
“For them to come now to the residents of Belize City after they have failed to clean the streets—the streets are in the worst condition they’re been in for many, many years—after they’ve failed to pick up the garbage; basic responsibilities of the Belize City Council. Picking up the garbage, it’s no science, picking up the garbage, fixing the streets, keeping the drains clean. Those basic duties and responsibilities, they have failing miserably to perform for the residents of Belize City. So they have no standing to come to the residents of Belize City now and say we are going to impose these fees on you if you want us to pick up garbage. In Belize City today, the Belize City Council has failed the residents of the city miserably and come March fourth, the people will speak on that issue.”
