Day one of the budget debate underway in Belmopan 

Debate on the national budget for the upcoming fiscal year officially got underway today at the National Assembly in Belmopan, marking day one of three days of deliberations on the government’s spending plan.  Proceedings began just before eleven o’clock this morning, with Leader of the Opposition Tracy Panton opening the debate. In a presentation that lasted approximately two hours, Panton outlined a number of concerns, touching on key national issues including education, healthcare, crime, and transparency in governance.  During her contribution, Panton emphasized the need for greater accountability and improvements in social services, while also raising questions about the effectiveness of current government policies.

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition: “It is as though, Madam Speaker, putting these estimates together, the government was completely out of touch, even aloof to the emerging global economic pressures. And even worse, impotent in finding innovative solutions to the hardships we continue to face. If, I repeat, if prosperity is the objective of this budget then surely prosperity must be felt where it matters the most. Plan Belize 2.0, Madam Speaker, promised a new phase of economic dynamism for Belize. It spoke of building economic capacity to sustain growth rates above 5% annually. Such growth would allow Belize to expand employment opportunities for our rapidly growing young population, strengthen the middle class, and support higher wages across our economy. Madam Speaker, this budgeting for prosperity that the Prime Minister boasted about in his presentation is a farce.”

Following her presentation, Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde rose to contribute to the debate, offering a broader perspective on the economic challenges facing Belize. Hyde highlighted the impact of ongoing geopolitical tensions on small economies like Belize, noting that global instability continues to influence local economic conditions.

Cordel Hyde, Lake Independence Area Representative: “We are living in very civil times. Our second term has begun with radical change in the region’s geopolitics as the most powerful country in the world and the most significant geopolitical force in our hemisphere. They just tore up the whole rule book. Uncertainty and unpredictability are the order of the day. Now the whole global economy is on the brink of chaos. War and rumors of war prevail. All of a sudden the Straight of Hormuz is a household name. Oil stopped flowing which means that prices start to grow and the smallest of nations like Belize will get the worst of this. Like I said at the beginning, we didn’t start any war. We wish it would end today but we have no say in that. We still can’t make excuses, we don’t have that luxury. We have to lead. The people elected us to lead. They trusted us with the wheels in a massive kind of way a year ago. We don’t have time for excuses We don’t have time to be in any quarrel like cats and dogs wit our critics. We have to stay focused. We have to be about the work. We have to be about service. We have to constantly communicate with our people because if we come together we could weather the storm and make this place better. There is no time for division. There is no time for backbiting or backstabbing. There is no time for isms and schisms. This is a time to for us to be Belizean, be all about Belize. Be all about this 8,867 square miles. We will be tested like never before. All we have is each other. Now more than ever we have to look out for the unseen and the unheard. We have to be our brother’s and sister’s keeper.”

Also weighing in was Minister of Foreign Affairs and Freetown Area Representative Francis Fonseca, who was critical of the Opposition Leader’s presentation. Fonseca described Panton’s remarks as lackluster and, at times, hypocritical, pointing to her tenure in government as a contrast to the current administration’s approach.  He referenced a period when the People’s United Party spent thirteen years in opposition, noting that during that time there were no grocery assistance programs, scholarships, or similar support extended to PUP supporters.  Fonseca also took aim at Panton’s acknowledgment of assistance provided by Prime Minister John Briceño to residents in her Albert Division, using it to underscore what he described as a key difference in governance between the PUP and the UDP.

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs: “The Leader of the Opposition, her presentation, it was long, I mean, that’s really the only memorable thing about it, that it was very long. It was, in my respectful view,  a very weak,  a very tired,  a very uninspiring presentation. It’s difficult to understand how you could talk two hours without saying anything. I did not hear one concrete recommendation, one concrete policy idea for how anything can be done better. It was good of her to in her presentation to acknowledge the work we’re doing. She highlighted some areas where she talked about the support the government is giving to each of them, the representatives. Same support the government gives to all 31 members of the National Assembly through the constituency development fund, the grocery bag program. So it’s good, at the very least, that they could acknowledge that support because for those of us who have been here during the UDP term in office we received no support, no support from their government. So she sat there on the government side on the her government. Yeah, she sat and did not care, did not care in the least that people in Orange Walk Central and Lake I and Freetown and Fort George were not getting any help from their government. Not a concern expressed for those people in those constituencies which I represented during all those dark years. No grocery bag or pantry, nobody in Freetown got any pantry during all those years in government. Scholarships? Absolutely nothing. I think one time they said they would give like $5,000 for the year to the constituencies. So no support in terms of that. And certainly no development fund which they receive on a monthly basis. So again, it’s important for the Belizean people to understand the significant difference between our Prime Minister and their Prime Minister, our government and their government.”

The budget debate is expected to continue over the next two days, with contributions from both government and opposition members as they examine the proposed fiscal measures ahead of the new financial year