7 News Belize

Briceno Bombs Barrow’s Budget
posted (March 25, 2019)
The budget debate started today in Belmopan with the traditional response by the Leader of the Opposition. In his hour long speech John Briceno underscored what he has publicly described as a kickback budget:...

Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opp.
"It is truly a pity madam speaker. In fact it is worse than that -- it is a great tragedy After more than a decade of an administration that has borrowed billions, spent billions and taxed Belizeans in the billions of dollars it is tragic that this UDP Government can show no evidence that Belizeans are better off, or that most of our people are earning a living wage, or that as a nation we are prospering."

"Ten days ago the Prime Minster came to this honourable House and in his trademark fashion gave the nation a budget that will not move us any closer to meeting the needs of our developing nation nor meet any of our national development goals like growing the productive sector and generating new jobs."

"Instead, once again he presented a budget that seeks to spend excessively more than they spent last year and collect significantly more from the Belizean people than they did last year."

"Seventy point three million more will be spent this year and close to forty-three million dollars more will be collected in taxes."

"This 2019/2020 Appropriations bill can best be summed up as a kickback budget. Not focused on people, but on round-a-bouts and roads from which ministerial hustle can fill their pockets and pay for their excessive lifestyles and those of their cronies, friends and families."

"If this administration is to be credited for anything, it should not be for the nation's economic performance. What it should be credited for is for crafting a decade plus of excessive borrowing and obscene spending."

"Each year of this Barrow/UDP Administration, they squandered a billion dollars and once again they will spend another billion plus, piling more on to the still unaudited 3 billion spent in the last three years."

"Yes, I reflected and researched and found out that this government will spend more for telephone calls in the Ministry of Works in 2018 than they spent on fire hydrants. According to the budget estimates they plan to invest $197,000 in vehicles and vehicle maintenance for the Fire Department in 2019 and spend 280,000 for phone calls in the Ministry of Works alone."

"The Belizean people put their trust in the United Democratic Party based on what has turned out to be a historic deception."

"From the lie about a mythical double sided machete chopping so much as the whiff of corruption to the bigger lie of a government for all."

"From the failure to keep our children safe at home to their inability to protect our full territorial integrity resulting in Guatemalan soldiers in their gunboats intimidating Belizeans on the Sarstoon. Never before have we seen such poverty, such despair and such hopelessness."

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