The P.U.P. in a release this evening called the million dollar payout to teachers, “the sign of a stubborn, immature and downright dangerous man who refuses to accept that he went up against the teachers and lost.” The party makes the point that in a time of deep economic recession, the G.O.B. had to present […]
Dangriga area representative Frank “Papa” Mena appears to have internal turmoil in his camp. A meeting last week descended into reported chaos following charges by the Minister of State of one of his assistants, the constituency chairman Clifford Peters, trying to make him “look bad” and insinuating that there was a plot to blow up […]
The People’s United Party says it is gravely concerned by the government’s seemingly flippant inattention to the spiralling crime. Earlier today, the P.U.P. issued a release noting that the government has cut the budget for the police by two million dollars at the most inopportune time. Over the weekend, eight persons lost their lives, including […]
For one of the rare instances in Belizean legislative history, the ‘noes’ had it in the Senate with regard to the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (Amendment) Bill on its second reading. The amendment proposed to introduce a development fee to be collected from any border administered with support from PACT, and was one of the […]
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wilfred Elrington, confirmed last Thursday at the House debate that the Ambassador of Belize to Austria, Joel Nagel, was told to leave his post by the Government of Austria following unnamed allegations. Elrington, however, did not disclose why the host country took that most embarrassing decision. In the Senate on […]
The comment by Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington on the topic of Belize’s borders and how they have not been fully drawn and accepted, in which he compared Belize’s situation to enforcing “squatter’s rights,” has drawn wide and loud condemnation from several arenas. The Minister has tried to backtrack, saying in the House last […]
Senator Courtenay also reacted to the rise of the number of passports being issued and the amount Government is collecting for them. He points out that with nearly four times the amount of passports being proposed to be created – with the machine readable system being under strain – government expects to collect the same […]
Leader of Government Business in the Senate, Godwin Hulse, wrapped up debate on the General Revenue and Appropriation Bill around news time on Monday evening after a full day of discussion. He opened with a review of the state of affairs in agriculture, which has been blamed for the slight economic contraction reported in the […]
Two weeks ago, the PM tabled the 2017/2018 Budget. And while debate has been fast and furious on many issues, one that perhaps was lost in the marathon debate was the cut in the budget for the National Fire Service. Well, the conversation surrounding that cut has come to the fore in the wake of […]
As a Senior Counsel, Eamon Courtenay has faced his share of scary situations. So what would cause the Opposition’s top Senator to “faint away,” as he claimed during this morning’s Senate debate on the Budget? Apparently, it is the idea that Belize is “bouncing back,” as Prime Minister Dean Barrow claimed in the title of […]
Close to eighty million dollars has been claimed by the Government in additional tax measures under the new Budget, affecting everything from electricity to fuel to the environment. And while the Prime Minister has contended that things could have been – and indeed may still get – much worse, Senator Eamon Courtenay says they can’t […]
Responding for the Government, Senator Aldo Salazar made the point that Belize is in the same boat as the rest of the region, where Jamaica passed massive tax increases and Barbados and Trinidad are contemplating similar drastic measures. The Prime Minister had issued a challenge to at least one Caribbean leader to come see how […]
After a marathon two days of discussion and recrimination, Prime Minister Dean Barrow wrapped up the House of Representatives’ debate on the General Revenue and Appropriation Bill just before eleven p.m. on Friday. He and his administration had been hammered mercilessly over the previous hours for various sins – from being uncaring for the plight […]
Belize is hardly alone regionally in economic malaise; many nations in the Caribbean region, whose governments are presently submitting budgets for consideration similar to others, have had similar sluggish economic growth or contraction in the last year. Unlike Belize, according to Prime Minister Dean Barrow, they have had no qualms about massive tax increases, like […]
Turning to the Budget Debate in the House of Representatives this morning…. After being seemingly overwhelmed and nettled by the force and ferocity of the Opposition People’s United Party’s response on the opening day of the debate, the governing United Democratic Party’s speakers tempered their responses. They focused on what people want to see – […]
But the Opposition P.U.P. proved intractable, convinced that two Belizes exist and that they are further apart than ever before. Leading off the Budget Debate this morning, former Opposition Leader Francis Fonseca said the United Democratic Party has been exposed on all fronts and that they have no record to show for their time in […]
Later, it was the turn of Albert area representative and Minister of State for Investment, Trade and Commerce, Tracey Taegar-Panton, to deliver a presentation marked mostly by technical numbers about the work her Ministry has done and plans to do in the coming year. According to Taegar-Panton, Belize did not lack for investment in the […]
First-term area representative for Caribbean Shores, Kareem Musa, has become a noted debater in the House of Representatives. Today’s Budget presentation was no different as he touched on multiple topics while going through what the Budget means for his constituents and Belize generally. The younger Musa went after Prime Minister Dean Barrow as cold, callous, […]
In his usual inimitable style, Mesopotamia area representative Michael Finnegan hit back at the Opposition’s defense of the loans they made under their administration which have become the Superbond. Referencing an old Supreme Court case, Finnegan described the other side as being “giddy-a-giddy” – or crazy for power – and hoping the Belizean people will […]
We’re not sure if they compared ideas before coming to Belmopan on Thursday, but two People’s United Party area representatives suggested similar methods for having the Government understand the plight of the poor during their Budget presentations – Cordel Hyde of Lake Independence on Thursday and Kareem Musa of Caribbean Shores today. Basically, they propose […]
Back to today’s budget debate….Orange Walk South area representative Jose Mai focused on the impact of the Budget – or lack thereof – on the productive sector, which he described as devastating. He excoriated the Government for neglecting the plight of farmers, focusing on the recent issue of potatoes. Mai said he found it unbelievable […]
Lake I Representative, Cordel Hyde turned the tables on the U.D.P. on the issue of corruption in his budget presentation on Thursday. The U.D.P. has continuously shaken their fingers against their predecessors in office about charges of corruption, but Hyde says the U.D.P. administration itself has much to answer for, including consistent feeding of alleged […]
Former Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega once again skipped proceedings in Belmopan this week, marking the fifth consecutive meeting he has been absent from. Under the Standing Orders, more than six absences qualifies him to step down from his position as area representative for Orange Walk North, resulting in a by-election, unless he resigns sooner. […]
Fort George Area Rep and Former Prime Minister, Said Musa, is always a must listen to during the debating of the budget and on Thursday during his presentation, he didn’t disappoint. Musa took aim at the Prime Minister over the ballooning Superbond which, according to the veteran politician, has tripled since the U.D.P. took over […]
The House of Representatives met in Belmopan today with passions running high for the second reading of the General Revenue and Appropriation Bill, otherwise known as the Budget, which is typically debated for two days. Though slightly less antagonistic than usual, members of the lower chamber held nothing back, especially the Opposition, which has been […]
