NOT ANOTHER DIME

In a month or so Prime Minister Barrow will rise in the House of Representatives and present to the nation his Government’s third budget, the Government’s General Revenue and Appropriations Bill for the Financial Year 2010-2011.

It would be unwise for the Prime Minister to once again come before the nation with his usual rhetoric; indeed what can he say other than the recession rages on? No matter how he tries to spin it, the fact is that Belizeans experienced one of the worst years in recent history and are bracing for an equally tough time in 2010.
For his 2010 budget presentation, fancy speak simply won’t be enough. If he will give even a semblance of hope that his government will get the Belizean people through this, he will have to persuade Belizeans that his administration has a plan to rescue the nation from what seems like an imminent depression.

In March Belizeans will be expecting their Prime Minister to unveil a plan that will create jobs, bring down the cost of butane, petrol, and of course basic food items.  They will expect to hear about plans to roll out NHI to other parts of the nation and they will want to know how the government will win the war on Crime.  They will expect an accounting of oil revenues and a plan to get more from oil revenues.  Any plan will need strong financial backing so the Prime Minister had better be ready to say where he will find new money and the Belizean people will want the assurance that there will be no new taxes.
This time around fancy talk won’t cut it; after all last year the Prime Minster promised a stimulus package, and if you ask anyone on the street they will tell you that as far as they are concerned, there was no stimulus.  He promised that he would remove taxes on gasoline if the pump price jumped $7 and later adjusted that figure to $8. Today gas prices are well above $9 and still no relief.
As far as crime and violence is concerned, this past year was a disaster.  This year the government must develop a plan that will not only assure, but prove to Belizeans that they will be protected from the criminals who roam their streets.
Two years into this administration and many Belizeans are beginning to doubt if any of the possibilities promised by the UDP in their campaign will be realized.  Two years in and Belizeans can point to no significant accomplishment by this administration.  In fact many have started to comment publicly that there can be no possibilities when the Prime Minster is surrounded by people who not only lack imagination, but who lack the capacity and the competence to get the job done.
This kind of thinking is greatly enhanced by this administration’s inability to construct an appropriate bride at the crossing at Kendall a year and a half since this bridge collapsed.  They are even further convinced when the national highways are in total disrepair; city streets, feeder roads, highways and so much of the nation’s infrastructure are falling apart.  Who else should take blame when everything is currently under the administration of the UDP?
On a whole, Belizeans are starting to find it worrying that Mr. Barrow and his cabinet have been unable to provide confidence to investors, grow the Belizean economy, encourage new businesses and enterprises, expand on the health services and reduce poverty.
To add to that Mr. Barrow, who was considered tough on corruption, has made it far too easy for some of his ministers to carry out actions and activities that are of a highly questionable nature. His government’s corrupt practices–evidenced by Mr. Schakron’s testimony under oath, the scandal at the KHMH and the questionable new businesses by one of his Junior Ministers, has delivered a direct hit to the PM’s credibility. This along with the obvious incompetence have disturbed and hurt thousands of honest, hard working Belizeans, including some of his own supporters.
In such a climate investors are unlikely to even think about coming to Belize and local entrepreneurs will not invest another dime until they see an administration that has the competence to get the job done.
This Barrow Budget had better be one that offers better and one that is pragmatic instead of pretentious.   Time is running out on this UDP administration. In less than two years the winds of protest have already started to blow and Belmopan is still only 50 miles away from Belize City.

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