Office of the Leader of the Opposition

Office of the Leader of the Opposition
Belize City, Belize
Central America
Telephone 670- 2644

REF OL/POL/02/2009 (4)

21 January 2010

Hon. Dean Barrow
Prime Minister
Office of the Prime Minister
Sir Edney Cain Building
Belmopan

Dear Prime Minister:

In about two weeks your Administration would have completed two years in office. Yesterday at our Party’s Press Conference, a number of issues were addressed.

The People’s United Party believes that there are several important national issues which require the attention of your Government, and on which we are prepared to play a constructive role.

On the Issue of relief for Haiti, we are calling on the Government, with the support of the United Nations, to give effect to a refugee program for a limited number of Haitian families. If your Government is prepared to pursue this initiative, we underscore the urgency that attends it.

As it relates to the Belizean economy, there have been multiple calls for a national development plan, for multi-year and program budgeting, for radical tax and political reform, for a blueprint to attract legitimate foreign investment, for an injection of confidence – none of these have been given any consideration. Additionally, there appears to be no plan to address the impact of the recession. In this regard we call for urgent adjustment to monetary policy to provide lower interest rates to spur development.
Also, given what has occurred so far in the Sugar Industry, access to the EU funds is needed in a timely manner. We recommend the creation of a revolving trust fund for farmers to access fresh and cheaper capital; that steps be taken to enable a cane farmer to sit on the Board of Directors of the Belize Sugar Industries Ltd. and that the you meet with the cane farmers, to listen and act on their causes, including the call for financial compensation for the family of the late Mr. Atanacio Felix Gutierrez.

With respect to crime, we in the People’s United Party asks that serious consideration be given to the following recommendations:
1. Doubling the Police Recruit Intake for 2010;
2. Doubling the number of boots on the ground (officers on patrol) in Belize City;
3. Re-open all Police Booths and sub-stations that have been closed over the last two years;
4. Re-activate and adequately resource the Community Policing and Neighborhood watch programs. It is unacceptable when residents in their community organize themselves to join hands with the Police to fight crime, as was done by the residents of Belama, that they are ignored by the Belize Police Department.

Finally, we are calling on your Government to prepare, within sixty days, a White Paper on Belize Guatemala Relations. This White Paper should have as its main elements, a factual description of the devastating effects of deforestation, cultivation, over-fishing and pollution and other illegal activities; it should elaborate a comprehensive strategy to immediately redress these urgent problems; and thirdly it should provide estimates of the resources – financial and otherwise – required to implement and fund the strategy. The White Paper should be given the widest possible circulation and be the subject of an informed national discussion before the strategy is adopted as a national plan to effectively deal with these problems
As I have said before, our Party stands ready to work with you and your Government in any effort that is in the best interest of the Belizean People.

Sincerely,

Hon. John Briceno
Leader of the Opposition

| | | | | |