Peyrefitte Criticizes GoB for Supplementary Budgets

Courtenay introduced the second reading of a bill to allocate additional funds for public services for the 2024-2025 financial year. He emphasized that this bill aligns with the national policy of presenting supplementary appropriation bills to the National Assembly, ensuring the public is informed about extra spending beyond the approved budget before April first. However, Opposition Senator Mike Peyrefitte voiced his concerns, attributing the need for roughly ten percent more funds to poor planning, sloppiness, and misjudgment by the government.

 

Mike Peyrefitte, U.D.P. Senator

“I see something here in the Supplemental for general elections. Now that one line item, Madam President, I fully support and we fully support. The rest we do not support. Madam President, I urge the government to use this money, use every penny to call the general elections now because you’re budgeting for it. And if it comes in a supplementary that is in a budget cycle that will end in March 2025, it means clearly then that the general elections is going to be before the end of March 2025. So don’t be secret about it, Madam President. Say what you’re going to use the – now to be fair, you’re saying what you’re using it for – general elections: three hundred and forty-three thousand, seven hundred and eighty-seven dollars. So, Madam President, what they should do, the Leader of Government business should announce the date for the elections. Now you come to the National Assembly and you say approve us one hundred and six million dollars. That’s what we’re talking about today, in this nondescript room, this body will decide that the people of Belize need to approve a hundred and six million dollars more on top of the billion-dollar budget that was present earlier this year. With a full four to five months left, you come here, and you ask for about ten percent of what you asked for in 2024. Madam President, that’s unacceptable.

Ministry of Finance was approved ten million plus and now they’re coming back for four million plus – forty percent – that’s how much you have miscalculated how much you needed for 2024-2025 and we’re only in November, Madam President. Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security for Cap 11 was two hundred and twenty thousand. Today you’re asking for three point two million dollars. Either you nuh know how fi do a budget if you are the minister for that or this da wa hustle. What do you need that money for that you didn’t need it for just in March?”

 

More information on the supplementary budget: : https://edition.channel5belize.com/pm-was-prepared-to-end-budget-debate-in-absence-of-opposition/

https://edition.channel5belize.com/pm-briceno-says-budget-is-designed-to-help-everyone/