Prime Minister speaks at UN for Belize and Caricom

Dean Barrow leader of the UDP and Prime Minister of Belize.


Prime Minister Dean Barrow CARICOM / BELIZE speech at the United Nations.

I was sort of ashamed of his speech myself, but understand he was not there representing Belize, but representing and speaking for the ELEVEN remaining CARICOM countries. How long CARICOM sticks together depends a lot on the brouha with Barbados deporting Guyanese.
On the other hand, I got the impression from Barrow’s speech that he understood the financial problems looming over Belize for these latter six months of the year, when everything is going to get MUCH worse in the money realm. What I also got, was, he didn’t understand the things he has to do, to let Belize survive well and strong. I don’t have much faith that Barrow is strong enough to do the job for Belize over the next 18 months? The cry baby routine at the UN can be attributed to CARICOM requirements in his position as Chairman of Caricom, but if it was to do as representing Belize, I didn’t want to hear him crying and begging. I never taught my kids that way and I sure as heck don’t approve of our Prime Minister acting that way. There are three countries in Caricom that can and should stand on their own two feet. Tall and proud! They are Trinidad, Guyana and Belize. The smaller island countries have reasonable excuses. Belize has none, except poor leadership. An ability to make hard decisions and do the right things to survive. For instance Barrow has the OPTION of notifying all government departments, except Agriculture ( which promises future growth), that their monthly budget will be cut 10% starting July 1st, and on October 1st will be cut 10% again, January 1st will be cut 10% again. Let the department CEO’s handle it.
What to do? Easy! 1) First thing you better project what government functions can be cut down to size that we can financially manage, for the last half of the year projections. Then do it NOW! 2) The second thing is put a moratorium on foreign loan borrowing. We need to dig ourselves out of this debt hole, that the UDP and BARROW are digging. 3 ) Third thing, is do something NOW about the SUPER BOND debt. Do something! Anything at all! Anything is better than nothing. You’ve had suggestions and choices offered, so CHOOSE and ACT. That alone will release around 50% of government expected revenues over the next two years for development, in the expected projected reduction in government revenues. Government and the cost of government is our problem, not our economy, which is doing moderately well considering the world circumstances.
All Prime Ministers going back to Self Governing days have used the excuse of the outside world, for the problems of being unable to govern within the revenue stream available to them. I don’t want to hear that nonsense and set of cry baby excuses. I want to see SOLUTIONS! WE CAN do it ourselves, we have to do it ourselves and bellyaching to the outside world about our problems will not solve them. If you think these outside countries are going to help us, you are living in a fools paradise. Nuff said. It is time to for the UDP to step up to the plate and find workable solutions, without the outside world. You do what you got to do, like any private sector successful business person.