P.M. versus Orange Walk mayor; Barrow says ministry not responsible for frozen accounts

Dean Barrow

On Thursday, the Belize Bank froze the accounts of the Orange Walk Town Council, bringing its daily operations to a screeching halt. The issue is an overdraft facility acquired and operated by the previous administration. The debt was to have been paid off in 2012, but it wasn’t. That outstanding bill was classified as a non-performing loan and the bank acted aggressively when it could not collect. The council insists that since the Ministry of Finance approved the facility, they are responsible for the non-payment by the previous administration. On Thursday, Mayor Kevin Bernard went calling on the Ministry of Finance for assistance when the accounts were frozen. Today the Minister of Finance himself issued a very public response to the Mayor’s request for help.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow

“While the Mayor and the Town Council have asked the government for assistance, I will tell you and the House Mr. Speaker that government is not prepared to assist that Town Council except we can get from the Town Council a proper statement of accounts so that we can see whether or not they are managing their resources properly, whether or not they are spending their money wisely and whether or not in fact they are being transparent with respect to the financial affairs of the Council. There is no point in their complaining that this was a debt that they inherited. All incoming administration whether at the municipal or at the central government level…when they come into office they inherit debts. That is no excuse to say that I will turn my back on these debts because I did not contract them. If we had taken that position when we came into office what would have happened to the superbond?”