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10 M USD For SIF? Senate Protests
Fri, May 19, 2017
After that motion was passed, Senator Godwin Hulse, the Leader of Government Business, tabled the second loan from the CDB. That's the 10 million US dollar loan that's going to the Social Investment Fund for 24 small to medium sized community projects, which is supposed to improve the living conditions 35,000 Belizeans.

Some of the social partner senators said that this description was too vague to make an informed decision on whether or not to support it. Here's the fiery back-and-forth between them and the government's senators:

Hon. Mark Lizarraga - Business Senator
"In support of the position previously stated and I lend clarity Senator Salazar, that what Senator Smith was saying and I make reference to what is before us now. If there is a proposal, a loan proposal before us right now for the sum of 20 million dollars or 10 million US to finance 24 small medium size community projects. Where did this number 24 come from? Certainly, it did not come out of the air. Certainly, these projects have been identified, one would hope and we know exactly where these projects are going to be done and for what purposes. So, what is the problem with providing us with the details that Senator Smith, myself and other senators continue to call for? Why can we not be given the materials that we need in advance so that we can rise and gladly support all those projects that are needed?"

Hon. Michael Peyrefitte - UDP Senator
"Madam President what is the senate to do? List the projects? Listen, we got these papers for a week. If there were these questions to be had, just go to the Social Investment Fund Senator Lizarraga. Being a senator is a contact sport, you don't sit down and wait and say provide information to me so I can go and argue as to what the merits and demerits are? You can visit the Social Investment Fund at any time."

Hon. Mark Lizarraga - Business Senator
"Madam President on a point of order reference section 33-4, I have not received my papers for a week, I got my papers yesterday."

Hon. Michael Peyrefitte - UDP Senator
"It is your duty as a senator whenever you receive them, to look them over and if you want to know details go over and seek those details. If it's something that can be spelt up - we can't spoon feed to you all the information. Some of the information, you need to take an initiative to go and find out. We are being paid to be senators."

Hon. Macario Coy - UDP Senator
"I am here to support this motion and I will continue to support this motion because when it comes to development Mr. President I will support it, because all the development that is happening to the Toledo District and throughout the nation, anyone can see and can testify to that, even if you are ignorant to accept it Mr. President."

Hon. Elena Smith - Labour/Civil Society Senator
"We are happy to see that these projects that they are going to be embarking on will be for poor rural communities, because we are quite aware that these communities need this type of assistance in those areas and so we are happy for that. We are happy to see that some of the areas that are of concern to us will be address. Our poor areas will be assisted and so my organization is supporting this motion."

Hon. Godwin Hulse - Leader of Government Business
"It is the responsibility and right of every senator to get clarification on any matter from the public service. Nobody can deny you that, indeed going through my papers I also wonder what the 24 projects were about, so I went to SIF. They didn't sent it to me, I went to SIF to try to get an indication and I was told that the reason, they cannot give you the list of projects because they don't have it exactly what Senator Barnett said, but I will for clarity for Senator Lizarraga and Senator Salas and Senator Smith, they have what is called an indicative sub project pipeline. There are more than a hundred applications coming from all over the place to SIF. so SIF doesn't have the money, but they know that they have to continue to lend so they put this proposal and said okay when we look at these sub projects we from a big broad brush are satisfied that we will be able to lend into education, water and sanitation health, social services and also organizational strengthening projects. They can't list the project because then people will think well I got the loan approve well, they did not get their loan approve because they have then go through the details etc."

And while the debates were entertaining, that's about all they were, since the Senate cannot stop loan motions. Those 2 loan motions were passed along with 3 other resolutions.

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