Email

Print

Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition
"Orange Walk East in the next general elections..."

Reporter
"Prime Minster is saying though that they will have a 4th term."

Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition
"Ahh he could say a lot of things. It's like his budget. The Prime Minister was known as always talk about all glitter and no substance. Well today it's no glitter and no substance because there is nothing in that budget. It's lifeless. You see nothing. He talks nothing about crime, about the social ills that are affecting us. He is talking about him being the enabler. The only enablers that he has done are some UDP millionaires that have been profiling on television. There is nothing. The very same that that remember he use to criticize the PUP about this below the line items now, now the BTL settlement he is treating it as below the line. Something that we paid from the budget. If we were to include that we wouldn't have enough money to pay the rent, pay light bill and to pay teachers. That is why he has been living on borrowed money. Issues those treasury bills and treasury notes, sucking up all the liquidity in the banking system. I don't know what the Prime Minister is talking about - a fourth term. Well if they are so confident, bring it on.""

Reporter
"The budget, the tax measures that were announced he mentioned specifically the data services, internet, excluding the schools and then also fuel. Again, that what he called low hanging last year. But I notice there is not any increases, readjustment of taxes. Do you think he will be able to reach the kind of funding they will need to keep this budget balanced and ongoing?"

Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition
"When it comes to the issue of data or access to internet, that has been the most fast growing sector of the telecommunications industry including the cable industry, because the cable industry is hardly any growth. People are moving more to data. So basically what the Prime Minster is doing now is putting in new tax on the Belizean people, especially the middle class and the low class who are struggling, who ensure now access to internet or data, is a necessity. Every child that goes to school, when they go home, they need to have internet and now what is the Prime Minister doing? Taxing those families, taxing those children in the family are going to have even more trouble. The Prime Minister promise the cane farmers 3 hundred thousand dollars to be able to fix the sugar farm, they haven't gotten that money yet. This budget is bogus. It's a lifeless budget, it is no glitter and no substance."