The $20 million grant from Venezuela – it is the free money that was supposed to deliver victory for the PUP but instead it gave the grand old party a deliverance like its never seen before. And while that’s one lesson – the news is that now the UDP government says all of it is gone. That’s right, today government announced that the Venezuelan money allocated to the Ministry of Housing has been fully disbursed. How much? Well a release says that in three weeks – the Musa administration gave away $15.3 million. Most of it was in grants ranging from $400 to $8,000 and loans in the same range. That’s more than government should have given out - because as Housing Minister Michael Finnegan explained to us this morning – the Housing Department got $10 million and it went $5.3 million over budget.
Hon. Michael Finnegan, Minister of Housing
There is absolutely no money at the Ministry of Housing in connection with this housing project. There are no pending checks, there is absolutely nada at the Ministry of Housing.”
And there is no money here at the Ministry of Housing because new Minister of Housing Michael Finnegan says that in less than one month – the PUP government disbursed $15.3 million. And for those of you still waiting for a loan or a grant from the Housing Department- Finnegan says don’t come for it because they don’t have it.
Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“People with the belief that the program is ongoing – we put out the release to erase that feeling. People with the belief that there are pending checks at the Ministry of Housing – there are no checks at the Ministry of Housing. The money was finished and concluded in three weeks. Ten million dollars was allocated to the Ministry of Housing, in the first instance. But they exceeded the ten million Belize dollars in housing and had to add on an additional $5.3 million.
So it is a total of $15.3 million that was used in three weeks going into the election. You get me correct. Or I was not told if the $5.3 million was out of local funds or the Venezuelan fund. That at this moment I cannot attest to but I am saying to you it was a total of $15.3 million that was used in three weeks coming up to the election. But I can attest to you and clarify to you that $10 million Belize was from the Venezuelan housing project.”
This morning Finnegan showed us the list of voters in his division who received loans. He says that while the Ministry of Housing will try - it won’t be chasing them down to repay it – because there is no system in place to do so.
Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“They have given out this money with the intention that this was a free of all with no intention of government receiving back its money.”
Stewart Krohn, News 5
"So if you got a housing loan in the last month you gaan clear?"
Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“In my view that is the situation. We in the Ministry will have to regulate the situation. Stuart you know what is shaming, and I hope this part of the interview is aired – it is shameful and disgraceful that I know people in my division who are rock heads and received housing grants. How can you give people who own no house- who live in no house, who are not responsible for a house hold give them tax payers money. That is immoral, it is wrong."
Immoral, wrong, and Finnegan says possibly – just possibly illegal.
Hon. Michael Finnegan,
“I do not believe that once the life of the government has come to an end and you are running up to an election, I don’t believe that government should be allowed to spend the people’s money in this kind of fashion. I believe that if it is not illegal, it is immoral and the new government must legislate so that something like this should not happen again. That is my humble view.
Things like those are wrong and if we back then ten fifteen years ago we were guilty of it, that doesn’t justify what they are doing and it won’t justify if we turn around and do it. That kind of governance must come to an end. We are in a new era- people are not fools.”
Finnegan confirmed to us this evening that the additional $5.3 million also came from the Venezuela grant. That means that the $1 million each that was allocated to the free textbook program, NHI rollout, infrastructure, and health were all sucked into the housing grants and loans. And though Finnegan says his Ministry won’t aggressively pursue those who borrowed under the Venezuelan scheme, he says there is a paper trail and his Ministry will attempt to collect. He urged those who borrowed to do the right thing and pay.
And as for those waiting for housing loans and grants from government, Finnegan says government will seek funding to continue the program. But until that happens his Ministry cannot lend money.
