Budget has a sixty million dollar hole; hardest of U.D.P. term
Dean Barrow
Brace up because the worst is yet to come. That’s because the economy is not a dark cloud looming over the Barrow administration, it’s a potential hurricane on the horizon. Prime Minister Barrow admitted that Quote “The upcoming fiscal year will be the hardest of the UDP term.” End Quote. And that is because there is a shortfall of sixty million dollars in the budget for the next financial year, beginning April first. Where is that money to come from? And which ministries and services will be affected if the millions aren’t found soon to bridge the shortfall? The budget has to be debated and passed in the House of Representatives by the end of March, but in his quarterly press conference today, the P.M. bought time and said he won’t disclose where the funds will come from, until he discusses it with the rest of Cabinet next Tuesday.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“I’m not pretending that going forward things won’t be hard. The upcoming fiscal year will be the hardest of the UDP term. Well the numbers aren’t good. We’re looking at a deficit of about sixty million dollars and we’ve been working overtime to see how we’re going to close that deficit. We’ve been looking at all sorts of suggestions, we go to Cabinet on Tuesday for the exercise that will then see ministers and members of the National Assembly way in what will then be the final shape of the figures that we will take to the House. In that context, I will tell you that I have seen an initial costing. Remember that the government and the unions have been at odds over this question of costing. I have seen an initial costing done quickly by the Ministry of Finance where what the unions are asking for will cost a hundred and twenty-two million dollars over three years. That is only off the top increases in salaries and emoluments. They are asking for various things with school, which will also have a cost. But that’s their headline number, one hundred and twenty-two million dollars in three years. Again I am not here to quarrel with them. I am here to say simply that is an impossibility in the current circumstances. I hope that they and the Belizean people will understand. I pause to make the point; they can’t look at us and say, as happened in the past, but you are squandering the money. As far as is humanly possible, we have run a tight ship, we are in problems with the numbers as a consequence of the slump in global trade and the super bond, the horrible debt profile, and in those circumstances, we will come to the people of this country and ask for their patience and their understanding.”
The budget for the current financial year, 2009-2010, stood in revenues and grants at eight hundred and seven million dollars and in the expenditures at eight hundred and fifty-nine million. The deficit of fifty two million dollars was projected to be covered through the fuel tax, Taiwan funding as well as the Trinidad petroleum fund.
The Government could have made better in collecting of property Taxes and revenue from purchases of Land. The nonsense that continues at the Land Registry, more specific at the National Estate department of not processing the proper land documents for humble Belizeans in obtaining their Land Titles is severely affecting the income stream. In many instances people are notified that their land continues to be in Audit and cannot be process. Come on Prime Minister…. is time you intervene and begin to hear the cry’s of people willing to pay for their Land but high profile individuals in the Department are not allowing the process to flow, consequently contributing to this black hole. I beg you to have a look at this department and give serious instructions to let the processing of Land documents already in pipeline to flow to alleviate the cash crunch.
The Belizean people will persevere through hard work and humble living. When I read these articles about the recession in this country, and then go out into the city and see the level of perseverance, I can only be proud. Whatever, has brought about these “dire” circumstances has not affected Belizean spirit. May we move forward and come out of these “hard times” stronger.
when it was times of crisis, he have brand new toyota suv’s to all his crew, that man cannot count, he would be out.
There is Crude Oil to count on, stop the bullshit and start pumping Petroleum money into the economy.
well, very interesting news!! mr. barrow and all his companions need to get their act together. we the poor people are already suffering because our government leaders dont care about us. they only worry about what they can benefit while they are in power. belizeans we need to stand up and let our voices be heard the government is crying indeed because all the money that is invested in belize go into their pockets. sad to see the type of people we choose as leaders. when we think we made a change for better its actually for the worst. all these politicians are the same. like the saying, ” change black dog fi monkey”.
Belizeans, this is total nonsense. We tolorate e stupidness because we fraid. Da time to get up and let him smell the coffee. He sleep good da nite and all a the other people who he di sweet and the rest a we ……we di stave out ya.
I can only pray that times will get better….MSG to PM…..Ensure all monies of the Government is accounted for…..ensure all expenditures are absolutely necessary…cut the waste..cut the pork….we have too much to loose in this country. Our country is growing and we need it to be much better. If we are real about moving Belize forward…we need to focus on where will it be by 2020. We have..Security to think about, Healthcare to think about, Education to thing about, Small Business Initiatives, Manufacturing and Export….
Oil, Oil, is not the only answer…but it is a bright spot….make sure we secure Belize b4 we go touting our oil wealth!
Well Mr. Barrow look at the financial mess you have got the country into. There are a few steps you can do to trim the fat. First I recommend a fifty percent pay cut for you and your cabinet, then
shrink the size of government. Why is Belize facing a deficit with all the tourism dollars flowing into Belize? Not to mention, where is the revenue from the oil recently discovered.Get your act together or you will be a one term Prime Minister. The Belizean People are not asleep.I bet that there is no deficit in the lucrative law firms that Help to drain the economy. Well after all we can borrow or beg from our communist friends and sink deeper in the hole.
Funny how everyone blames the govmt for everything.What have we as a body done to help the situation nothing.Instead we keep having kids after kids expecting handouts.Who’s to blame nobody but ourselves.We’re an intelligent country but we keep acting stupid.Back in the day everyone knew how to fish and plant no one ever went hungry.Everyone knew how to help each other/look at what we have become/but according to us it’s the governmt/yea right we should be blaming ourselves.As a body of people we have no unity amongst ourselves.In America you can put 10 mexicans so to speak to live in one 1 bedroom house and before the year is over everyone is driving mercedes/stop/think/learn from other cultures/in other cultures family is everything despite what the odds are/if it can work for them it can work for us why?cause we’re more intelligent/stop the hating and start communicating/we’re to blame for letting others take what was ours in the very 1st beginning//in order for the government to change we need to change as a community before we’re able to change them cause that’s the only way we’ll be able to push back//in any battle u must first learn how to fight before u start a fight///if not you’ll always be beaten///////////
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