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Senate Debates But Cannot Delay Budget, Because GOB Has Church Support
posted (March 27, 2017)
So far we've told you about three of the weekend's eight murders. We'll tell you about the other five shortly, but first we'll cut to the senate. Today the upper house met with 13 senators for the first time. They had a very full day of business, and at this hour the meeting is still ongoing. But the center price was the budget debate, and here are a few clips from that back and forth:...

Hon. Mark Lizarraga- Senator, Business Sector
"We are on the brink of an economic disaster and crisis if we cannot control government's spending, waste and abuse. Are we three times better off today than we were before the tripling of our debt? Let us work together to be more efficient, to be more productive, to be more competitive, let us a business community and a government work together and our people work together to achieve these objectives that are desperately needed.â€￾

Hon. Eamon Courntey- PUP Senator
"Only a person who is suffering from some severe state of delusion can say that the Belizean economy is bouncing back. The truth is, Mr. President, when a country is in recession moving to a depression, that is not bouncing back, that is bouncing backwards Mr. President. That's what we have here. In presenting the prime minister's budget, he didn't want to be frank and open with the people, he didn't have the courage to tell the people that he was imposing new taxes. No, he used alternative facts. Hear him, according to him, the cabinet proposes limited measures. Limited measures? What is the truth Mr. president? They will quote, Ëœadjust the excise levy'? Not true, a tax increase of $27 million dollars. According to him, they will quote, Ëœamend the departure fee;' not true Mr. President, that's another increase of $10.5 million dollars. According to him they will, listen to this, Ëœbump up the environmental charge;' not true, that is a tax increase of $14.4 million dollars on the Belizean people. And listen to this one, they will shift the social fee, SHIFT? A tax increase of another $14.4 million dollars. And you would have think that people get wah relief when they say quote, they are going to Ëœlower the tax threshold for electricity consumption;' not at all, that is an additional $6.6 million dollars in taxes Mr. President. And finally this cute one: they will amend by 50 bases points stamp duties on foreign exchange permits; not true, a tax increase of $7.7 million dollars. That amounts for a total increase in taxes of $77 million, approximately 2.2% of GDP. We should man-up and say you are increasing taxes, don't use fancy words and euphemisms when you are ramming a buckut on the people of Belize. It is in fact a bankrupt budget. The main reason for this Mr. President is that the budget is bought, sold and paid for by the bondholders. It addresses the conditions demanded by the bondholders instead of the Belizean people. And instead of some prosperity, what we have is taxperity; more taxes Mr. President, taxes upon taxes upon taxes. We have a taxterity budget. And I see the prime minister calls himself the captain of the titans. The truth is he is the captain of the titanic; the ship is going down under the UDP. We do not support this budget Mr. President."

Hon. Osmany Salas- NGO Senator
"I simply cannot support this budget, more work needs to be done on it. I would be glad to support a budget that is better prepared."

Hon. Ashely Rocke- Senator for Churches
"We believe it is a fair description of our fiscal position, we therefore support the general revenue appropriations bill fiscal year 2017-2018. Madam President, I quote a statement that was said to me some years ago when a gentleman told me, â€Ëœwe pray for rain, we must expect mud as well.'"

At this time, the budget debate is winding up. The Senate still has 11 bills to discuss after that, so the meeting will be going for a while. But, the big question is will the Senate be able to use its non government majority to delay the budget? It would be a first, but as you saw the church senator supports the budget giving the government six, one more to make it 7 in support - so it will pass.

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