It wasn't news to us, shucks, we told you about it two nights ago, but today the Prime Minister's press officer called us to say that the IMF is coming. As they say, the news blew in kinda like a bad Spanish station, but our interest was piqued when we were told that the Prime Minister would actually comment on the visit. Piqued because right now there's a whole lot for the Prime Minister to comment on.But it seems there's a new "no-contact" press policy coming out of the top office in Belmopan. The almost always available PM isn't talking with the press; he's talking to the press via a radio ready recorded statement.
It's so weird, it gave us nostalgia, making us feel like Radio Belize all over again when the PM sounded those deathless words: "the IMF is coming." More curiosity than news we present the PM "live from some backroom in Belmopan":
Hon. Said Musa - Prime Minister of Belize
"I made it clear to the IMF that Belize was not seeking to access resources of the fund by way of any structural adjustment IMF program. Rather we are interested in having the fund work with us in monitoring our own program, our home grown program. This can be achieved with technical assistance in specific areas such as expenditure and debt management and improving economic and fiscal data dissemination. I also indicated to the officials of the IMF, the World Bank and the IDB that it would be our preference if all three institutions as well as the Caribbean Development Bank would work in a coordinated and collaborative way with Belize."
Press boss Ernesto Vasquez said the PM had no comment at this time on the Carnival contract.