Now all those new measures - specifically the components that come with a price tag - will be funded by a 15-million-dollar influx from the Government of Belize - which should fund COVID relief efforts for 6 months.
But, many are asking, where will the money come from? After all, 8 days ago, the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance said. quote, "the UDP Government maxed out the credit card. We do not earn enough to pay our bills." End quote.
So, if it can't pay its bills without borrowing, where is government going to find 15 million much needed dollars to fund a suitable COVID response?
Is it going to be re-allocated from some other area of spending - or is there going to be a supplementary budget?
Minister Chebat says the source of funding details are for his boss to figure out:
Reporter "Where is this money coming from? Will the ministry be receiving it in parts and how will that 15 million dollars be provided and spent?"
Hon. Michel Chebat - Minister of Health "Cabinet has approved the 15 million dollars and so this will be coming through the Ministry of Finance."
Reporter "We have the finances and we have the tests available in this matter."
Hon. Michel Chebat "We are taking this pandemic very seriously and it is a priority for this government to deal and so we will be finding the funds to be able to continue our testing program."
Reporter "Specifically, where is that money coming from? Is it borrowing? Is it taking from other portfolios, where exactly is it coming from?"
Hon. Michel Chebat "I believe that is a question better directed to the Ministry of Finance because they are the ones who are going to be charged with finding the funds for us. Very clearly the figure of 15 million dollars was not pulled out of the sky, this figure was put together by the technical people at the Ministry of Health and Wellness. As you are aware, this pandemic changes from day to day and so that we need our planning to be flexible and we are planning on a 6 month basis as we speak as this initial 15 million dollars will go to cover that initial 6 month period."
Notably, due to what we are told is a technical glitch, the questions from this media house and many others were muted from the broadcast at the press conference - where, also, journalists were only allowed to ask two questions.
