VOICE OF THE COMMON MAN FIERY BUDGET DEBATE

By Hilly Bennett

A special sitting of the Senate was held in the National Assembly chambers in Belmopan on Wednesday March 29, 2023 to debate the Revenue Appropriations Bill FY 2023-2024. Budgets encompasses numbers material to the stead of a country's economic situation. Although the UDP senators brought their usual pixie-dust politicking in the attempt to undermine the PUP, the John Briceño administration, the "Delivering on PlanBelize”Budget, with deceits and fiction they were overmatched by the People’s United Party senators.

Senator Collet Montejo in rising to support the 2023-2024 Draft Estimates of Revenue and Expenditures, in a stellar performance, blasted the Opposition Lead Senator for her heights of hypocrisy, or total amnesia on his multiple of reasons for rejecting the " Delivering on PlanBelize” Budget. Facts don't lie and the numbers bore proof. Montejo compared the numbers of Dean Barrow's 2020-2021 budget, entitled "Making every Dollar Count” which Senator Michael Peyrefitte wallowed over to the numbers of Prime Minister John Briceño’s "Delivering on PlanBelize” budget. The numbers on Barrow's budget showed a dismal performance. No growth, no development, no houses built. Poverty grew under the three-term red regime from some forty-odd percent to over sixty-odd percent, unemployment was on the rise and the economy was on the verge of collapse. Montejo proudly presented the historic and unprecedented achievements realized in a short period since the PUP Government led by PM Briceño. The massive reduction in public debt. The reduction in poverty. The decrease in unemployment to five percent. An animated Collet Montejo drew on the Amandala Newspaper Editorial dated March 18,2023 entitled, Not as poor as we thought - economy looking good... Within the article, several questions were asked and answered. “Is our present government the hardest working one we've ever had? The answer is it just might be. Has the economy improved tremendously since the present government took office in November 2020? The answer to that is a definite yes. Is this the least corrupt government we've had since independence? Without our oversight bodies fully functioning, all we have to go on are appearances, and based on that it could very well be so. The article continued lauding the Briceño administration in the areas of governance. Health, education, infrastructure development, human development and the growing of the economy whilst reducing the country's debt profile are on the short list of major accomplishments by this PUP government.

However, in one of the most despicable moments in senatorial debates, Senator Sheena Pitts rejected one of the most important institutions numbers on poverty reduction, the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB). Pitts said she could not support the numbers, claiming that it was faulty. Pitts needs to be reminded that when the UDP assumed office in 2008 the first Millennium Development Goal was cutting poverty by half by 2015. The statistics in regard to poverty reflected that the Jewel under the United Democratic Party Government moved opposite to the MDG in the area of poverty alleviation. Poverty grew! Today, under this PUP government the incidence of poverty is at 35.7 percent, with the intensity of poverty at 39 percent. Clearly as a result of “Delivering on PlanBeliz”

In another fiery debate presentation, it was Honorable Christopher Coye, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance who delivered a surgical incision with precision to the fiction and fantasy the UDPs senators attempted to weave. Whilst the PUP cemented the numbers, Sheena Pitts et al countered with falsified allegations. The economic wiz' took the entire UDP political dunce to Budget Book 101. Coye explained that in the opening of the budget book all that is seen within are numbers. Facts are a stubborn thing and numbers don't lie. Coye said “but truly, it is far more than just numbers. Through these numbers this book is about the past, the present and the future of our Government. This budget book is particularly telling because it begins with the government's performance under the last year of the UDP administration, continued with the fiscal performance of the first two years of this Briceño administration and ultimately, particularizes the future plans of the PUP administration for the upcoming year for FY 2023-2024". Coye continued dispelling any notion that things were better under the UDPs. Senator Coye spent some minutes expressing the mess the red-hydra exposed the country and people to - the abyss of doom and gloom. The past revealed that the UDP was in complete crisis mode, on a direct path to debt default, leading the country down the road to fiscal insolvency and heightened risk of devaluation. With severe revenue shortfalls and excessive expenditure, said Senator Coye. Evidence suggests a financing gap of almost half a billion dollars and a primary deficit of more than 10 percent of GDP. Shashaying with the numbers, Coye dug deeper in the budget book holding the one-time senators in awe. “As the budget reflects, it was scrambling to borrow money, equivalent to half of its total revenue, on reckless terms to cover expenses. We all recall when it was borrowing a million dollars a day to cover expenses, but what were the UDP financial geniuses doing to cover expenses. Remember the US 30 million dollars treasury notes. Because of the lack of confidence in the then government, they were only able to raise 21 million, even though they were paying 6 1/2 percent per animated. At the same time, they were maxing out Government's overdraft facility with the Central Bank, at nearly 100 million dollars, at 7 percent interest rate per annum. They were also issuing 140 million in floating rate treasury notes in the final years boasting that they were oversubscribed. These turned out to be by far the most expensive debt that this government now currently owes. With the interest on these notes not fixed

COUNTRYWIDE PUBLIC AUCTION SALES: PROPERTIES

Beach Front Condo, Las Terrazas Resort, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye , Belize DistrictCaye, Belize District

BY ORDER of the Supreme Court of Belize, Licensed Auctioneer Kevin A. Castillo is selling ONLINE via belizepropertyauctions.com the following property. Sale currently running until 31st May 2023. Within this period, a Public Auction Sale will expire fortnightly on the dates and times listed on the website until this property is sold.

1. BEACH FRONT UNIT NO. 105 LAS TERRAZAS RESORT, SAN PEDRO, AMBERGRIS CAYE, BELIZE

REGISTRATION SECTION BLOCK PARCEL

San Pedro 7 5437 H 5

The freehold property of Mr. David A. Title and Ms. Paula Tatiana Cortes Londono

(Being BEACH FRONT Unit No. 105, a two-storey beach front condo [2,465 sq. ft.] containing Ground floor – 1 Bedroom + 1 Bathroom + Living/Dining/Kitchen + Laundry + Large External Porch; First Floor – Master Bedroom + Bathroom + Queen Bedroom + Bathroom + Terrace situate at Las Terrazas Resort, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize District, the freehold property of Mr. David A. Title and Ms. Paula Tatiana Cortes Londono)

“FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION & PHOTOGRAPHS PLEASE VISIT WEBSITE”

TERMS: STRICTLY CASH

KEVIN A. CASTILLO

TELEPHONE: 223-4488

Website: belizepropertyauctions.com

Email: kevinacas@yahoo.com

Facebook: Belize Auctions

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