7 News Belize

Leaders, Diverging Views on 2019
posted (December 31, 2019)
If you have 24 minutes of your life to give away, or if you're really, really into politics - you can sit through the New Year's Messages from our political leaders, Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Leader of the John Opposition Briceno.

If not, here's the most important bits. Barrow noted the downturn in tourism for the latter half of the year - which he attributed to sargassum and not crime - and added that airlift will increase next year with a flight from Europe:

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Despite the fallout from sargasm, overnight tourism at the end of November was still up 2.9% over the 2018 and in 2020 these increase flows will keep escalating as we initiate a new air service between London and Belize and direct flights between Washington DC and New York City. Beyond tourism, 2020 will also bring the first genuine opportunity to market and sell Belizean exports to the expansive Taiwanese market of 23 million consumers."

And, if you were concerned about police checkpoints, and police taking your picture, PM Barrow says that with more spending on security, facial recognition is coming soon to a community near you:

Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"And in the new year we are going to make a reinforced push. The police department will be staffed and funded at historic levels and in this all out fight against crime we will enlist and deploy every available tool of technology and artificial intelligence. These include state of the art cameras with facial and licensed plate recognition capacity, mounted all over, but particularly in critical hotspot locations."

Briceno's message was starkly different from Barrow's. He spoke about corruption, and UDP scandals, but in the last 5 minutes of his message spoke about what his party will do if elected in general elections in late 2020. He said they will increase the minimum wage:

Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition
"To ensuring our poor people by ensuring that we start with a $5 minimum wage, to relieve the over burden productive sector, not only by getting out of their way, but by helping them to modernize and to create financing for agriculture which we especially help our small farmers produce for our nation. I am convinced that together we can do all these things. Yes, we can grow the Belizean economy to a point where it can reach 5% annual growth. We can provide adequate healthcare for all. We can give our children a proper education and we can make affordable housing available. For us the in PUP, our national priorities continue to be about the people, not round abouts."

Briceno's message is just a shade over eleven minutes, while Barrow's is just over 12 minutes. Both will air in and around tonight's newscast.

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