BELIZE UDP GOVERNMENT report card goes down from 71% to 56% approval rating

UDP REPORT CARD GOES DOWN 15 POINTS TO RATING OF 56%

This weeks UDP CABINET score for the UDP has dropped 15 points from the last score of 71%. The approval rating is now 56%

The euphoric boost a couple of weeks ago, to the nationalization of the SHARES of BTL by the UDP government, with the expectation we would now ACTUALLY get internet and telephone service in Santa Elena Town in Western Belize, that raised them the UDP, from a mediocre report card approval rating, of a heady 71% has been revised downward again this weekend, to 56%.

The primary reason, was for political administrative management negligence! This was composed of a loss of 10 points for not yet, enabling that cross border visitors at the Benque / Melchor border in Western Belize, received different transportation options to choose from when visiting Belize. While the UDP inherited the badly administrated transportation options for cross border visitors and tourists, ( a year and a half ago ) they were warned in public disclosures and articles, as far back as May of this year. They were also requested to fix the problem for the July – August, Summer Tourist season. This the UDP failed to do! It is now September, and my wife and I just this weekend returned from a sailing trip on Lake Izabal, in Guatemala, near the Southern border of Belize. When we cleared the border on our side, coming home at our Benque Immigration station, we were faced with only the TAXI MONOPOLY again. There were no buses, and no TUK TUK $1 per person taxis to travel the 2 ½ miles to the Benque bus stop at the town park. The TAXI ASSOCIATION asking price is $30 Bz to leave the Belize border point. It was mid-afternoon hot sun, we were much too exhausted to walk the 2 ½ miles in the hot sun, with our traveling back packs, to the nearest bus stop in Benque the nearby town about 2 ½ miles away. The taxi association were successful in extorting $30 from us.
Now compare this: We had just traveled from Rio Dulce, Puerto Barrios area in an AIR CONDITIONED BUS, with soft seats and a fast trip of 4 hours, to the crossroads at the point where the road leads a mile into Santa Elena, Peten, and then after getting off, promptly five minutes later, caught the next passing collectivo small van mini- bus, for the frontier immigration in Melchor de Menchos, on our Western border. This whole trip costs $25 Belize currency. The taxi drivers on the Belize side of the border who have a MONOPOLY, with the apparent blessing of the UDP government, extorted MORE MONEY for the 12 mile trip to Santa Elena Town, at $30 Belize currency, than we had paid for several hundred miles in Guatemala. Prices in Guatemala for Belizean tourists otherwise, are pretty much the same as found on Caye Caulker otherwise. Though you can find better cheaper rates if you have the time to shop around, for restaurants where locals eat and shop, for example. Then prices were the same as in our Western Twin TOWNS, perhaps a shade higher.
Another sore point was the taxi driver figured we were suckers, and we got in an argument about he wanted an extra $20 because he had to deliver us to our Hillview suburb house, of OUR Santa Elena Town, behind La Loma Luz hospital. When we were in the Tourist backpacker student bus traveler business, this was always a sore point for all our TOURIST GUESTS, as they got extorted, EACH TIME by this TAXI ASSOCIATION MONOPOLY for extra money, over and above agreed upon prices, at the Western border frontier. This does us much damage for TOURISM on the INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL CHAT FORUMS. The galling part is neither our UDP CABINET government who are supposed to be managing our economy in partnership with the private sector, only seem to meet such situations with complete indifference. So long as they get theirs as politicians, they don’t seem to give a damn about building our economy is our impression?
The lack of transportation solutions at the Western border, by the UDP CABINET after a suitable time of months, we can only subscribe to POLITICAL NEGLIGENT ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT INCOMPETENCE, in their stewardship of our national economy. Particularly TOURISM. That costs the UDP 10 points on our SCORE CARD. A further 5 points is deleted for the ability of the fairly new TAXI ASSOCIATION at this Western border crossing, to have a transportation MONOPOLY, without any regulation, controls, or fare statutes. Taxi fares to the Benque bus stop from the border, should be $2 per person and to the TWIN TOWNS about $10 per person. ( 5 point deduction on the report card for the UDP Cabinet )
The SCORE FOR THE UDP CABINET MISMANAGEMENT drops from 71% to a total of 56%. ( A failing grade, - passing grade is 75% ) To pass, the UDP are going to have to quit with the excuses and start with the results in working. ) This managerial negligent incompetence by our UDP CABINET costs the economy of Belize, much losses in Guatemalan Tourism, not even counting European bus travelers.
Regional Tourism impressions will be covered in a separate article.