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Government Writes Off Mortgages; Opposition Says PiƱata Politics
posted (January 13, 2012)
Today the government went to the House Of Representatives loaded with goodies: first there was the Social Security Housing Loans and Debt Relief Write Off Motion and then the announcement of decrease in electricity rates.

But, the thunder was stolen in one case and tainted in the other. First, the news of those new light rates was already reported in last night's news, and, second, the SSB write-off has been marred by the controversy of the CEO and other Social Security staff trying to cash in on the programme.

So, before he rushed in with all the political fanfare, the Prime Minister had to explain that those who were not on the list when it was first broached by government at the end of September, 2011 - won't be getting on - which cuts off all the inside traders:

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"I should make one thing clear; the list is the list that I said was given to me as of the 30th of September. No name has come off, and no name has been added; there was a great brouhaha about goings on among staff at SSB. Let me make absolutely clear. And, again, members on the other side will be able to look at the original September 30th list to verify that it is that exact list that is being reproduced now for the House to approve."

"Again there may well be, Mr. Speaker, as we proceed the discovery that one or two of those names on the list may be the names of persons that have died, and their loans as a consequence have been written off by insurance. In that case I will need for SSB to replace those loans, because we have bought 781, at that juncture when that can become clear if there are such instances. We can look at who next there was on the list that was just over $50,000.00 and try to slot them in."

"Mr. Speaker, but you know what happens now. People are saying to me 'what happened to the loans and mortgages that are at DFC?' Well, being always for the people we can promise today that there will soon also be a form of assistance with the DFC mortgages."

"Now Mr. Speaker let me be clear. I don't know whether it will be a complete write off, whether it will be a lowering of the interest rates or a combination of both and so I cannot go beyond saying assistance there will be in one form or another."

"But for now `Mr. Speaker we are happy that so many additional families are benefiting once again from another of the UDP's pro people initiatives. There are some would be spoilers that we called "blue konkas" that have tried to reign on this parade, but it is clear that the joy at what we are doing is not confined only to those home owners that are benefiting directly. All right thinking citizens resoundingly approve of compassion on the part of their government. Compassion that gives a welcome and significant boost both to individual disposable income and to collective economic activity."

"The nominal value of the mortgages being written off is just under 17 million dollars though we have been able to acquire them for 6.9 million because of the impairment factor. Mr. Speaker on behalf of a government that is always for the people I now take pleasure in moving the motion."

And while he got a standing ovation from his side of the house - the opposition was not impressed. Leader, Francis Fonseca agreed that a write off is a good thing - but there's nothing to cheer about when so many people can't pay their mortgages, while said Musa colorfully likened it to piñata politics:..

Hon. Francis Fonseca, Leader of the Opposition - PUP
"Any relief, Mr. Speaker, offered to struggling home owners- who are for the most part unable to meet their mortgage obligations- is welcome and supported. In fact the great majority of the persons benefiting from the government write off are individuals who were given the opportunity to become first time home owners under the PUP's housing expansion and development program."

"Like all Belizeans we are justifiably concern about the reports that have been forthcoming. About the alleged abuse and so call insider trading by senior Social Security Board managers and staff. Mr. Speaker, purportedly the CEO of Social Security Mrs. Martinez has paid $20,000.00 to the Social Security Board for a mortgage with a loan balance of about $69,000.00. Furthermore, several select members of staff of SSB were advised on what was necessary in order for them to qualify for a write off and were allegedly given recommendations by the CEO of SSB to obtain loans at commercial banks and other lending institutions in Belize to borrow to pay down these mortgages to take their balances below $50,000.00."

"Why has it become a matter for celebration and grandstanding and patting yourself on the shoulder when some 800 Belizean families have fallen into poverty; are no longer able to meet their mortgage payments; have effectively lost hope and given up. Mr. Speaker, these families deserve jobs and economic opportunities, not just handouts."

Rt. Hon. Said Musa, Former Prime Minister
"Most of these homes, Mr. Minister of Works, were built by the People's United Party providing home owners in this country. I think even the Minister of Tourism will agree with me."

"Mr. Speaker, in other words it is the PUP that did all the heavy lifting so that now the UDP government can be generous with assets created by the People's United Party, and, of course, it is being done now in a last hitch desperate effort to try to win votes from these poor people. Now that the election is drawing near, the UDP is trying to take advantage of the situation - dishing out - bursting the piñata. It has become a piñata campaign now. Free ham and turkey. Write off the mortgages; dish out the cash. In other words, the housing department and the representatives of the UDP and the Social Security Fund now have become one big piñata to dish it out."

"The final insult now, as pointed out by the Leader of the opposition, these fat cats in the Social Security, fat cats UDP, yes, in the Social Security Board have been taking advantage of the Social Security write off or at least attempting to. I am happy to hear that when it was exposed - not by the government but by the media, Channel 5 and Channel 7 that exposed this racket that was going on - it was only then that the government through the Prime Minister has now responded to say that they will not benefit. This very same sanctimonious lady, who presided over the DFC Commission of Inquiry, this pious sanctimonious lady who kept talking about corruption here and there with no proof. Now we have the real corruption that was attempted in Social Security Board. That's right."

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"Those on the other side who tried to concentrate their fire on the CEO of the Social Security Board can't get away with that. What it appeared was being attempted by staffers at SSB had and has nothing to do with the government's write off program. In any case what was contemplated could never have happened because from the time I learned of the allegations that were making the rounds I spoke to the Chair of the Social Security Board, and I knew that the Chair was going to convene to deal with the allegations. I also knew that I had the list upon which the contract was concluded, the list on the basis of which I have negotiated. And there was no way anybody would have been able to add to that list without the approval of the government of Belize, and there was no way in the world that the government of Belize would have given that approval. So I am not going to try to defend the CEO, but I do have to observe that the thunderous denunciations of the CEO coming from the member for Fort George is rich, its ironical. If I were the CEO I would take some comfort from the fact that the man who is my greatest detractor is the man whose record is so well known. I listen to the member for Belmopan talking about all the compromises that the member for Fort George made when he was Prime Minister. I should rephrase that - the various ways and the countless individuals to whom he was compromised. And I recollect what Bettie Davis said about that starlet, looking at her she observes to people, 'there goes the good time that was had by one and all.'"

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