PM Barrow of Belize accused of double dealing by Belmopan Council in the "CAPITAL" newspaper.

* Prime Minister Barrow in pensive mood.



PM BARROW ACCUSED OF DOUBLE DEALING BY BEMOPAN COUNCIL

Belmopan is the capital of Belize and a city of around 7000 people. Most civil service working people commute from outer rural areas and the old port town of Belize City down on the coast. This capital city is in the CAYO WEST DISTRICT of Belize. The city was recently doing a budget exercise and reconciliation of accounts. Interesting numbers are that property fees are outstanding to the tune of $1.7 million owing them. Owing also $62,000 from market stall holders. Most of the garbage collection fees are owed, in the amount of $511,915. Roughly the Belmopan City council is owed around $3.2 million, of which it is having trouble collecting.
RECONDEV, the old colonial sort of management of the lands of the city of Belmopan is still co-existing with the Belmopan Council, much as the Council complains. The Prime Minister had promised to repeal the RECONDEV ACT, but promises and ACTION are two different things. Nobody can believe a political promise anyway. The double dealing charge comes from insider sources who say that the Prime Minister is planning to turn over RECONDEV land management to the Ministry of Natural Resources.
The subject of autonomy of the city of Belmopan and laws needed to do this ,have been the subject of many a debate. So far the idea of a de-centralized governing system, and the idea of autonomy for the capital of the nation is still just TALK on the part of this UDP government. Thus the charge by the Belmopan City Council of double dealing with a forked tongue by the Prime Minister, Dean Barrow.
The only thing the Belmopan City council can do is pick up garbage. The council feels that RECONDEV should be dissolved and the land distribution issue given over to the Belmopan City Council. The problem is with people squatting on lands of RECONDEV, around the planned suburbs of Belmopan. Not all the suburbs of Belmopan have running water yet, but a Honduran company will be brought in to finish the job.
Belmopan cannot grow, because the whole mess is in conflict with different feudal bureaucracies.