And while he met with labour last week - today the Prime Minister met with Capital - that is, the business sector at the fourth annual Business Forum. This year the theme was "Partnership for Growth and Prosperity"- and in his remarks at the closing of the event which was held at the Biltmore - he said that the partnership has grown in a meaningful way:
Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"With respect to operational advances, there is more that could have been achieved. But we have done well just in my view, in chartering this EDC, in getting it off the ground. In giving flesh to an idea that is a wonderful one. I know that whoever is Prime Minister after November 4th will be obliged and no doubt happy to continue this EDC enterprise."
In close the Prime Minister did make it clear that while his government has been prop poor - it does not mean that they are anti-rich:..
Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"We don't seek to achieve our objectives by any effort at re-distribution of wealth. There has been, must not be ever any attempt at a government engineered transfer of private resources from those better off to those well off. In other words, the goal is always to create new wealth for new players. Not to take away wealth from those that already have to give to those that don't."
Private sector representative on the economic development council Kay Menzies conceded that while giant leaps in the partnership between the private public sector were not made - even having the dialogue is a kind of progress:..
Kay Menzies, Pvt. Sector Rep. - EDC
"We never got into this thinking that we were going to be miracle workers. It would have been nice. But thinking that we be miracle workers and get government moving at the speed we would wish within 3 years would have been a very pleasant shock. As it is I think we have made quite a degree of head way. There are discussion that begun that would not have begun without the EDC's intervention. Particularly tax reform, the transportation master plan which are critical issues for Belize. Access to finance has become an issue more for the forefront of discussion. Results from them, they are on their way I want to think, but I think we should be optimistic by the fact that they simply begun to be discuss. That alone is a giant step."
Mike Singh, CEO - Ministry of Trade
"I think our report card normally comes through the World Bank doing business report."
Jules Vasquez
"Things are going backwards."
Mike Singh, CEO - Ministry of Trade
"No we are not."
Jules Vasquez
"We went from 114 to 117."
Mike Singh, CEO - Ministry of Trade
"The new one is coming out in January and early report seem that we would be making some significant progress."
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