It's a veritable ants nest and now the mounting concerns over Social Security's loan portfolios is reaching a crescendo and everyone is taking stabs at the once impenetrable citadel that was the Social Security Board. We say that because since 7NEWS first broke the story two weeks ago public and institutional discontent has been mounting to now become an avalanche assailing the Social Security Board and in particular the way the Social Security handled loans and security's to Glenn Godfrey Chairman of Intelco. Today the pressure mounted and the opposition added a few degrees to the stew.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
It was not central in the UDP’s press conference this morning but the Opposition says that the latest exposure of the use of Social Security money to finance private debt is the unifying banner for the interests of both themselves and the social partners that include civil society, the business community and trade unions.
Hon. Dean Barrow,
“I wish to commend the social partners for the stand that they have taken. The latest scandals involving the abuse of social security funds, involving the insolvency of the DFC, involving the fiasco in telecommunications and the enshrinement and entrenchment now, by government, of a new monopoly have culminated in what I consider to be an extremely welcome departure occurring over the last few days. Social Security...the abuse of the social security funds has perhaps been the trigger for what has happened but I believe it is now a phenomenon that will not be flash in the pan.”
George Frazer, NTUCB
“With the opposition calling and others we might sound to be calling for the same thing but one has to be careful so as not to get the issues mixed up and to have people misinterpret and play the cards out as though it is a political thing. This is a very serious thing, it is workers’ money and we need to do our due diligence and try to ascertain the facts and we will take it from there.”
And the social partners have committed themselves to fully investigate the doings of the social security not only the Glen Godfrey loan but the entire loan portfolio of the SSB. General Secretary of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize George Frazer says that the mounting concern has them taking action.
George Frazer,
“Because of the allegations out there the perception and of course the disquiet among people out there and certainly our members, we feel it our responsibility to go and investigate so the four members of the board, the four non-government members are going. We have already called and got agreement yesterday in fact during the meeting that these four people will go Friday morning to the corporate headquarters of SSB in Belmopan to look at the documents and investigate. Our members, by law the four non-government members, have that right and we hope that there will be the kind of openness and the kind of fairness that the books will be opened and that whatever information is available will help us to get to the truth as to what the situation is. We will analyze the information and decide on what further course of action.”
But what does that action include? Well according to the Leader of the Opposition it should be far reaching including a possible commission of inquiry.
Hon. Dean Barrow,
“Just an audit of the SSB funds might not be enough. That call from the Chamber of Commerce, and from SPEAR, and from the unions ought to be expanded now so that it becomes a demand for a full scale commission of inquiry headed by the Chief Justice and including forensic accountants. We think that this extraordinary convergence of denunciations with respect to what has taken place over the Social Security funds must mean that the action that we as a society ought to take, and that the government must take, should be equally extraordinary. Let us put an end once and for all to what has been happening not only by confirming its exposure but by making sure that those who are responsible are put in a position where they pay a consequence and therefore will never try it again.”
But while Barrow is calling on swift and indictable action against those responsible Frazer is taking a moderate approach especially because of what he calls the charged atmosphere surrounding the issue.
George Frazer,
“Because of the charged atmosphere out there, political emotionally and otherwise, we get things diluted.”
And the opposition agrees here understanding that the social partners are not and should not be used as political pawns in the political game of upmanship.
Hon. Dean Barrow,
“We recognize that there is a need to proceed with caution because the social partners are not political actors in the partisan sense and we always wish to recognize and to respect that. But we are happy at what we see is this positive determination now on the part of the social partners not to shy away from a confluence of action with the official opposition, even if it is not in an official fashion, but not to shy away from a confluence of action when the burning national issue of the day demand it. And we give our commitment that we will never try to exploit that new welcome attitude that we perceive on the part of the social partners for any narrow partisan gain.”
It’s a promise that is difficult to keep especially because the Social Security issue is now ripe for political championing.