The Prime Minister of Belize, Hon. Dean Barrow, presented the national budget for the fiscal year 2011/2012 on Friday, March 11. In his presentation entitled “Celebrating Growth, Sustaining Recovery”, Prime Minister Barrow proclaimed proudly that this budget will continue the administration’s pro-poor mandate:
“The government repeats, with no apology and indeed much pride, that our pro-poor programmes are the centerpiece of our social campaign, our mandate of egalitarianism.”
Though the government is saddled with the task of managing the $2 billion plus debt inherited from the PUP administration, the Prime Minister has done everything possible to ease the burden on the poor people of this country. Last year the government launched the food subsidy programme in which poor families could access food baskets at less than half the actual price. With an initial $2.5 million allocated, that program is featured once again in the new budget and it has been replenished and expanded. The food support program will be expanded to the Northside of Belize City and rolled out to the Cayo District to provide relief for residents of San Ignacio and Santa Elena. The Government will reactivate the Countrywide Apprenticeship Program. The preparatory work is just about completed and $1 million will be allocated to that project which was executed successfully by the first UDP Government in 1984. It will pay young people to learn a practical trade by way of apprenticeship to skilled crafts persons. This will develop the individual’s employability as well. The Conditional Cash Transfer Program that was introduced last year will be fully rolled out with an initial budget of $4 million from local resources. It will target the most deprived and disadvantaged in urban and rural areas. The program will focus primarily on youths and single mothers. Cash will be given to poor families in exchange for participation in developmental activities such as immunization, school attendance and family education. The amount of money given will be based on certain variables; example, children in primary school, children in high school; how many children; etc. PM Barrow also introduced a new programme for working families nationwide. It is the childcare subsidy program. Working parents will be subsidized to help with the cost of childcare services. Unemployed parents will have time to take advantage of job preparation programs and take up employment knowing that quality care is being provided for their children.
Such social programs aimed at providing direct relief to poor Belizeans have not swayed government’s focus from the sectors that are the key features of a country’s report card. Improvement in education, health and infrastructure are key indicators of a developing country.
PM Barrow said that the secondary school finance reform will be fully on stream. The reform seeks to ensure more access and equity in the education system. It will balance the financial and human resources made available to schools. Financial assistance will now be based on student enrollment instead of faculty recruitment. Also in education, there will be continued emphasis on teacher education and certification. UWI recently graduated the first class of Belizean teacher trainers who completed a special program drafted for education in Belize. Childcare and early childhood education will be of outmost importance, thus the reason for the childcare subsidy program. In healthcare, government will continue the National Health Insurance program and also provide for increased enrollment of people living in the Southern Districts. There will be more investment in health facilities, particularly in the regional hospitals and polyclinics. The national kidney dialysis program will continue and soon all 32 patients will be accessing treatment at La Loma Luz Adventist Hospital or Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Government’s budget for that program has been $1.8 million and the World Organization for Renal Therapies (WORTH) provides additional resources and technical support. The budget will see continued investment in infrastructure and many of the final phases of projects that began last year will continue this year. PM Barrow said, “We believe in infrastructure not only for its own sake but as a means of creating employment.” Infrastructural projects will center on the improvement of the primary and secondary road network.
He highlighted the upgrading of the highway in the Toledo District to our border with Guatemala; continuation of work on the Kendal Bridge; and upgrading of rural and feeder roads in the sugar belt. Their will also be resources allocated from Central Government for maintenance of streets and drains in the municipalities. $2.5 million has been allocated for street rehabilitation in district towns across the country. $1 million has been allocated to Northside Belize City for infrastructural development mainly in the Freetown and Caribbean Shores division. This is in addition to the $1 million that was given at the start of the year. $4.4 million will be provided for a low income housing project to benefit the poor and middle class. Assistance received from this project will be by way of grants.
The 2011/2012 fiscal year should be a great one for Belize but it is threatened by the volatility of the international price of petroleum. Government has introduced measures (See article on Tax the Oil Company – Ease the Consumers) to ease the blow from the recent sharp price increase but at this time it seems that a huge increase in gas price is inevitable. Nevertheless, poor Belizeans should rest their head on the fact that this government will do as much as possible to ensure that they are cradled in difficult times. Pm Barrow said it best: “The dispossessed in this country must always know that the strong arm and watchful eye of the United Democratic Party will ever be the guardians of their welfare, promoters of their interests, and guarantors of their survival.”
