The Barrow administration had to fight the Belize Bank – using
even the threat of arrest against the Bank Chairman to recover the ten million
US dollars in Venezuelan grant funds that Former Prime Minister Said Musa diverted
to settle the Universal debt. The fight between the Bank and the government
over who really owns that money continues, but the government is moving forward
and today announced the specifics of the plan to release the money for the purposes
and the people it was originally intended to help: the poorest of the poor and
their housing conditions.
The Ministry of Housing today held a press conference to explain just
how the money will be disbursed, and there’s no scarcity of specifics.
First, the money will be given out in grants, not loans, meaning, recipients
will not be asked to pay it back. Second, and this was repeated three times,
it is for the poorest of the poor; that means grants for new houses will only
be given to those making fifteen thousand dollars a year, or less; grants for
home improvement will only be given to those making twenty thousand dollars
a year, or less.
Third, the grants will be disbursed across 31 constituencies spread
out across four zones: north, south, east and west. And – this was also
stressed many times – applications will be available form all 31 area
representatives, including the six PUP area reps; applications will not be distributed
individually to applicants by the Ministry of Housing.
Fourth, no one will get money in their hands - more on that later.
Fifth, all disbursements will be reviewed on a per region basis by
a six member oversight committee specific to that region. That group will have
representation from the Ministry of Housing in the city, OR the Ministry of
Works in the districts, The National Trade Union Congress of Belize, the chamber
of Commerce, the Ministry of Human Development and two area representatives.
The oversight committees will review and approve applications, monitor construction
and sign off on all disbursements.
There will be a limit of thirty thousand dollars on grants for new
homes, and ten thousand dollars for home improvement. It was also stressed that
applications by those who already have a property will be easier to process.
That’s a lot of rules, particularly when one considers that there were
no rules at all when the first ten million US dollars were disbursed before
the general elections. But things have changed and the CEO for the Ministry
of Housing Rosalie Gentle made it clear that this is a no nonsense program.
Rosalie Gentle, CEO – Ministry of Housing
“In order to qualify for a home self-improvement grant, the applicant
must own a house and not earn more than $20,000 per annum. In order to qualify
for a new house, an applicant must not own a house or is mortgaging a house
and not earn more than $15,000 per annum. These per annum salaries are indicative
of the government’s intention to target the poorest of the poor.
Application forms will be distributed through the various area representatives.
All application forms must be properly filled out with attached estimates if
required and submitted to the Ministry of Housing through your area representatives.
Applications will be sorted out at the Ministry level and then submitted to
the various oversight committees. So all applications will go into the Ministry
and the Ministry will then separate them into four regions.
The Ministry will process applications. The applications, after being sorted
out, the oversight committee will vet them and approve. The Ministry, after
the applications have been approved, will be processed. However, this is where
monitoring starts. The Ministry personnel will be required to take a picture
of the house before it is repaired. So applicants are advised to take note that
if you are to benefit from this project, a picture of your house before the
repairs and a picture after will have to be obtained by the Ministry personnel.”
Hon. Michael Finnegan, Minister of Housing
“There will be no repayment because these are monies that will be
given out as a grant as government is targeting the poorest of the poor and
the poorest of the poor can’t pay back so it will be free money.”
Hon. Melvin Hulse, Minister of NEMO
“We have to capture those people who could never qualify for a bank,
financial institution and what not so we have to give these people a break.”
Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“No money will be handed out in nobody’s hand like what they
were doing before the election; you get four hundred and five hundred dollars.
This is not that at all. You will get help in accordance if you are qualified
and in accordance with the help you so need. And the help that you so need will
be monitored before and will be monitored after. Nobody will not get nuh even
one cent in their hand under my watch; under my watch. And let me tell you,
no politician, whether dah UDP or PUP, will get no money under my watch. Remember
now, my integrity as the Minister of Housing is at stake. It is as plain as
daylight can be.”
That’s right, he said all 31 representatives, meaning that the
PUP representatives will also be processing applications – just like their
UDP counterparts. But that’s not how politics is conventionally played,
particularly six weeks before a municipal election. But that’s just the
point the Minister of Housing stressed that this has nothing to do with the
upcoming elections.
Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“It is a Cabinet decision that the program will be handled through
all 31 area representatives. That is a Cabinet decision, that is not a unilateral
decision by me. We will make sure that we respect the area representatives.
They are duly elected and whatever is sent to me by, for instance by my friend
the Hon. Mark Espat or the Hon. Francis Fonseca or Cordel Hyde, I will make
sure that they are treated properly, that they are respected, and that their
people are attended to. Under this government it is a new beginning.”
Jules Vasquez,
How will you handle it specifically in the Fort George Area where that representative
has been charged for the theft of this same money?
Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“We will not punish the people of the Fort George Division.”
There are no projected figures for how many homes will be built because
the money will be split between home improvement and new home grants –
and no one knows how many applications will be received for each. But at thirty
thousand each, 600 new homes can be constructed with eighteen million dollars.
The full amount available is eighteen point five million dollars because one
point five million dollars was spent on disaster relief.
Today Hulse explained that those funds were spent in the Cayo, Corozal,
Orange Walk and Belize districts. They repaired damaged homes, raised homes
that were vulnerable to floods, and installed flooring and partitions for homes
with dirt floors. They did work on 40 homes in the Cayo district, 50 in the
Belize district, 240 home sin the Orange Walk district, and thirty in the 30
in the Corozal district. They were able to do it by competitive bidding for
construction materials as well as with help of the Mennonite communities of
Pilgrimage Valley and Red Creek who didn’t charge for their labor.
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