On Friday the government unveiled the broad strokes and some of the fine points of its so called adjustment plan. On the recurrent side, it was entail cutting the jobs of at least 50 contract officers, an untold number of open vote workers, and discontinuing automatic increments for public servants. Projects such as the Marion Jones Sporting Complex will also be cut. Well, today, the UDP responded with area representative Patrick Faber and standard bearer Mike Peyrefitte making the rounds. They said the PUP cannot successfully carry out this plan.
Michael Peyrefitte, UDP Candidate for Freetown
"Let's look at what they are proposing, indeed they are proposing three things: retrenchment, wage freeze, and taxes; it doesn't take a special Cabinet meeting for that. And let's be specific about what you're going to do, you're going to cut $3 million from open vote and contract workers; but which $3 million? Are you going to cut Emory King? Are you going to cut Dickie Bradley? Are you going to cut Kirk Anderson? Are you going to cut all those people who are making $10,000 to $15,000 a month who are producing absolutely nothing?"
Jules Vasquez,
You said Mr. Faber that what this government should do is resign. You all are looking at a situation where even if they were to resign and ask the UDP, under Dean Barrow, to take over next week, you all would have to get an even more bitter solution for the electorate, for the society, to swallow because the situation is at a point of being so difficult to manage that the solution will have to be excessively austere.
Patrick Faber, Collet Area Representative
"Well I agree that indeed it will be a tough task for the UDP to fix the economy of this country. We have the credibility and so the international community will give breaks, and again their third thing seems to be having the will and the ability to carry through on your targets and again the UDP has the track record; in 1984 we had already entered into a standby agreement with the IMF and it was the UDP who made those targets and rescued this country from out of that arrangement. So its not that we are not familiar with what needs to be done, its not that we don't have that track record, its not that we will fall short of these targets like the PUP have consistently done."
Jules Vasquez,
One year from now where, in your estimation, will we be?
Michael Peyrefitte,
"One year from now, if we continue on this route, we will be looking at heightened criminal activity, we will be looking at devaluation not only in real terms but also official terms as well. The country of Belize does not have any money. We don't have any money to meet our international financial obligations, and you know when you're in trouble when you don't even have the money to meet your recurrent expenditure within the budget itself; its going to crash."
Jules Vasquez,
If we're facing an imminent national crisis, is it not the responsibility of the Opposition to instead of shouting fire in a crowded room, should not the Opposition say we are in a mess, if we don't do this we'll have a devaluation, let us help; let us get on the same page and let us help with fixing this imminent national crisis?"
Michael Peyrefitte,
"They don't want our help. They don't want our help because our help entails doing what is necessary to get out of the crisis. Listen, we're not new to this you know, we're true to this, its like what Patrick said in 1984 we were facing this same situation and we actually went to the IMF and we got ourselves out of it. Now if a UDP coalition with the government, for the sake of the country happens, you know what we will suggest is to look at the real issues that are affecting this country: Michael Ashcroft you need to give us our $17 million, all those people who are getting away with Free Zone exemptions, all those who are not paying taxes, all of our monies that were sent abroad, a $105 million that was just missing from the consolidated revenue fund; we will take steps to get back our money."
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7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited and Prepared for the internet by Keith Swift
