Tonight, we continue to give out the report card for the Briceno Administration's first year in office - and tonight Jules Vasquez looks at two key areas that matter a whole lot t John and Jane Q Public. That;That's land and housing - where so many are in need, bu8t most f the needs aren't being met. And it's a chronic problem, from one government to the next - a cycle which continues according to Jules Vasquez's report:
When you commit to "Facilitate the building of at least 10,000 low income homes in the next five years" - in the middle of a pandemic, that is a pretty tall order.
And, so far, the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing has gotten off to a slow start - building 150 starter homes as at the first of October - on what is called an "affordable payment plan". That's 1.5% of 10,000 homes built in 20% of the time in office elapsed, so we have to hope that the next four years are super industrious.
Of the other election pledges, let's just say that most of them remain on the horizon.
In infrastructure, the PUP didn't make that many pledges - remember infrastructure was a UDP thing - but that's the area they have been making progress, fulfilling, and in some cases streamlining contracts initiated under the UDP.
After taking over the Briceno Administration did spend 12 million in emergency spending on road rehabilitation - partial fulfilment of a manifesto promise to "Ensure central government builds and maintains new farm roads and infrastructure,".
So, overall, the grade here would be a C, not full out failing, but not quite where they need to be - and while that is this examiner's opinion, we're sure the Minister will say that…:
Hon. Julius Espat
"I won't allow you to impose your opinion."
Hon. Julius Espat
"So, you're lying! You dont appreciate when somebody states facts."
Moving unto Lands - that's a tall task - the word "Land" appears in the manifesto over 30 times, and is the only item to get two whole pages devoted to a single subject.
The promises are manifold, beginning with "Ensure that every Belizean who doesn't own a piece of land gets a piece of land. Every Belizean." Later, it refers to "a philosophy that there will be land for first time landowners, and land for agriculture production and village expansion."
To that end, the Ministry has held land clinics in every corner of the country and says it has issued over 1000 lots at Mile 8, Belize District and pledges to distribute another 3,500 in December.
Of course, the public complaints about not being able to get anything done at the Lands Department persist and are growing louder, as is the grassroots activism against this ministry.
To this, the Minister says the backlog and the load is great, give them some time…and to that this examiner says, time's up, C-.
Tomorrow we'll finish up the annual report with with Agriculture and Citizen Security.
