And that debt will be a major part of the debate in the next few days. Usually, it would be 10 days, but the budget was read later than usual, and it has to be passed before the start of the fiscal year on April first.
So, the debate is being held in the next 6 days, on March 21st and 22nd. It's an accelerated timeline and one the opposition leader isn't comfortable with. He explained:
Hon. Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"It's not enough. You think it's enough? I has never been the practice. I believe that we should get this a month before to go over it. I'll be very honest with you and after March 27th, by God's grace I will be successful, the opposition will present their own budget at the next reading of the budget in 2023/2024. That is the type of democracy we need to have. We need to present an alternative budget and say to the Belizean people this is how will spend your money. It's not that you should just come, drop this on us a few days and then we come and we debate and we go back and forth. No, let's come together and lets present a budget that will really work for the Belizean people and the prime minister said that he is not arrogant and that he listens, so more than any other bill that comes to this house, this budget is something that we should give our time to and we should go over and it should not just be finality. That is a contravention of his humility that he pretends to have."
