Email

Print

Today the Prime Minister says it is accomplished and he harbors no ill will towards the social partners:..

Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"It's unfortunate that labor and the social partners voted against but I respect their position, I think we did everything to answer the queries that they had. I gather from a call this morning that there were still additional questions they wanted answered, I believe that now was the time to take the vote. I hope in turn they will accept that the majority that voted in support of the investment did so as a matter of conviction as a matter of having made a proper assessment of the soundness of the investment having been absolutely persuaded that this is a guilt edge investment and having as well look at the fact that right now 25 million dollars or so of Social Security funds sterilized in the Central Bank earned only 2.7%. So I think it's the right decision that was made as I said I bare the NTUCB and the Chamber of Commerce and the Belize Business Bureau no ill will for their no vote. I respect that."

Jules Vasquez
"But the unions have indicated that they feel it's a undue rush to have the vote now."

Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"As I said you could jawbone the thing to death, I believe that enough time was given enough consultation was engage in, enough of an effort was made to answer all the questions. I think that the way it has happen is the way it ought to have happen and I am absolutely satisfy and I am prepared now to move on."

A press release from the Social Security Board says that with the decision having been made on a democratic basis the CEO of Social Security is now authorized to go ahead and make the purchase…