Budget Day in Belmopan is typically quite straightforward as the presentation of the revenue and appropriations bill takes center stage. But these days, there's always more stuff happening. So today, the teachers union staged its national rally and demonstration in Belmopan to coincide with the budget presentation - even if the centerpiece of that Budget was to give them a raise of pay - the teachers who went to Belmopan still aren't happy - and they made their presence felt all through the prime minister's speech as they sang and vocalized outside on the national assembly stairs. We'll have a full report on that shortly, but that wasn't the only distraction at today's House Meeting.
At the end of the meeting, at least one blow was thrown right in front of the House - and right when the representatives were walking out. It was a dispute between the PUP's Vaughn Gill - who was all upset about Anthony Boots Martinez getting land for his constituents in Cayo south - where Gill is the PUP political officer. That got really heated - and we'll show you as much as we have of it later on.
But first to the real news of the day, the Budget Presentation. This year's Budget was slightly different than its predecessors. Prime Minister Dean Barrow cut out most of the technical parts of the budget - to present a shorter speech that it seemed made way for the insertion of more political boasting. And there was a lot of that to be done. You might have thought the Barrow Administration was humbled by coming off the roughest half year in its six years in office, when it lurched from scandal to scandal and crisis to crisis, but not to for the PM, who, flush with Petrocaribe dollars was feeling feisty, and he showed it in a budget speech where politics not dull statistics dominated. Jules Vasquez was in Belmopan to hear it all:
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"This is a train bound for glory and we have the will and the wherewithal to drive it straight on through. Truly 2014 is a sort of annus mirabilis, a year of miracles under this United Democratic Party Government."
Jules Vasquez Reporting
The miracle really is the Venezuelan fund, which stands now at 168 million dollars - and it's being used for everything for deficit funding to the national bank to road works:
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"This source of bilateral support has yielded some $168 million. So far, $10 million has been invested in the start-up of the National Bank, about a million in the commencement of works by the Belize Infrastructure Ltd, and around $15 million in the national infrastructure renewal program launched after last year's epochal floods."
"Never before has so much spending been programmed on construction, road and bridge building, drainage, street rehabilitation, community centers, sporting facilities. Cities, Towns, and Villages; every nook, every cranny, every corner of this country will benefit from our Herculean public works drive." (applause)
Now that ample availability of funds has become a sort of mantra for the Barrow Administration, which at its sixth year in office is trying to turn the corner from corruption scandals:
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"There will be no existential agonizing for us, no dithering. We are inheritors of the Baymen's legacy and we meet adversity resolute and clear-eyed. So whether it is replenishment of crops and rescue and repair of livelihoods after the worst rains in a generation; whether it is intervening in the sugar industry to empower justice, rehabilitate roads and enable a crop; or whether it is promoting reconciliation, providing bailout money and avoiding factory closure in citrus, Belizeans can be sure of one thing. This Government will always take arms against any sea of troubles and by opposing end them."
But one thing's that's not being funded by Barrow's Venezuelan war chest was the centerpiece of today's budget presentation, that's the raise of pay for teachers and public officers:
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"Teachers and Public Officers with this Budget, this Budget, Mr Speaker, are receiving the nectar of a not less than 5 percent salary increase on top of the annual 2.5 percent increment. Altogether this translates into around 34 million dollars "
"Unfortunately, notwithstanding Government's extraordinary munificence, there seems to be in some quarters ingratitude "sharper than a serpent's tooth". But we will not allow that to rain on our grand raise-of-pay parade."
"Despite our disagreements with some of the Union Leaders, we tremendously value both our Public Officers and Teachers. We believe in them, we treasure them and we consider it our special obligation to properly reward them. Thus, we were and are happy to make and live up to this commitment. And we consider its fulfillment the centerpiece of this Budget."
And, while Government does have that 22 million to pay the teachers this year, what about next? Well, that will take care of itself - because Barrow who's bent on expansive public spending, also signaled a sharp shift from the strict fiscalism that had become the UDP's calling card under his predecessor Manuel Esquivel.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"And that is the objective in modern times: to balance the economy, not the Budget. Now a country can spend more than it earns because of the availability of debt as an instrument to fund investment and construct the pillars for accelerated growth."
He's talking Venezuelan again, and intoxicated by all those Petro-dollars, he called some big shots in a speech that was overtly political:
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"I promise you, Mr Speaker, we will win every single seat in every single City and every single Town." (APPLAUSE)
"True sunshine is breaking out all over Belize and we in the UDP are messengers of the day. In this refulgent dawn those that can't see the many good things around us must be blinded by the light."
The budget took one hour sixteen minutes to deliver, compared to last year's one hour and fifteen minutes.
It will be debated starting on Monday, March 24th.
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