On Friday, we showed you PM Barrow's Budget presentation where he boasted of 5.3% economic growth last year, with a projected growth of 3% for next year, which is above the regional averages in Central America and the Caribbean. When 7News interviewed the Leader of Opposition, Francis Fonseca, he didn't have much to say about it.
But, after digesting the budget for almost a week, the Opposition came back today with a press conference which lasted just over an hour. The topic of interest was none other than the performance of the UDP while in government for 5 years, with focus on the 1 year anniversary of their re-election.
Their message addressed many aspects of the difficulties and shortcomings facing the country, but we start at the most-outstanding moment of the event. That's when Belize Rural Central Representative Dolores Balderamos-Garcia read their assessment of the GOB's performance.
Here's how that went, along with the Leader of the Opposition's response when asked for his impression of the budget 6 days later:
Hon. Dolores Balderamos-Garcia - Area Representative, Belize Rural Central
"Please help me here ladies and gentlemen. The student is Dean Barrow, its 2013, and this is the report card. As the party leader reminded me my first job was that of a teacher, so let us give this report card. Higher Taxes A; please help me, its right up there: Corruption, A+; Arrogance, A; Nepotism, A+; Cost of Living, F; Fighting Crime, F; Job Creation, F; Land Distribution, F; Rule of Law, F; Health Care, F; Education, F; Economic Growth, F; and Agriculture, F."
Hon. Francis Fonseca - Leader of Opposition
"The budget really is a lot of empty rhetoric, and it's a budget that reflects very clearly that we have our Prime minister that lives in one world. We have a UDP Government and Mr. Barrow living in Barrow land. They're living in their own world and out here on the real streets, in the village communities and in our homes. People have a very different reality."
The budget will be debated in the next two weeks.
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