Earlier this week, you saw the circular from the Treasury Department instructing the sub-treasuries that they will only be permitted to spend on decorations for September celebrations and Christmas. Some, including the National Garifuna Council, interpreted this as an attempt to minimize Garifuna Settlement Day.
GOB since explained that wasn't the intention, but the Dangriga area rep said he too was initially shocked by the circular:
Dr. Louis Zabaneh, Minister of Transport
"I had the same reaction when I saw it that same day, we were doing our decorations and it is absolutely shocking that you would have a directive that we cannot celebrate things that all of us as Belizeans look forward to. The 19th is one of those celebrations that all Belizeans enjoy. We learn so much from the contributions and experiences of our Garifuna brothers and sisters and of course I'm the area rep for Dangriga and we took the opportunity to make it clear in our office we were decorating. I was happy to assist in that cause."
"Whether or not it was an oversight, it's a mistake if that were the case because we should be far more sensitive than that about all of our cultures, that's number 1. Perhaps it was just something within the treasury, I don't know, but I wanted to make a statement to be blunt that this will not be tolerated and myself I'm the minister of indigenous affairs as well as the area rep and I was looking forward, if it was a genuine directive, for me to be called and say why are you putting up decorations? I would have loved to have gotten that call. I haven't gotten that call yet and if there's somebody who wants to call me, you're more than welcome to do so and we will talk real then."
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