And while it sounds like he got schooled - not so! After the meeting, we got a chance to ask the Leader of the Opposition about the minister's response.
He said he IS in communication with the UDP rep on the NHI board - that's why he asked the question to begin with! It's the opposition rep, Dr Angel Campos, who raised the alarm, and Barrow says that the entire deal seems suspicious. He even encouraged the wider public to keep a close eye on it.
Jules Vasquez:
"The true facts as presented by the minister are totally harmless, it's a totally normal transaction that will help the people of Corozal with the Chunox Clinic."
Hon. Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"You know you don't believe that. You absolutely don't believe that. The way that I got the information was from the member that sits on the NHI that represents the opposition and he had concerns because unlike what the minister said, there was no vote, he said there was no vote, there was a committee that returned the results of a tendering process that included a private entity which the chairman of NHI sits on, that's a conflict of interest. furthermore, when you say that it is a harmless transaction, it is not. normally, in these public/private partnerships, the private entity is not given government infrastructure to operate. Usually they have to rent or build their own facilities and they may be advance, some of the monies as part of the contract in order to do that but this is the first time that a PPP is being housed by government infrastructure and then you have to say is that corruption because if it were not that the chairman sat as a shareholder on this private entity, would they be given that type of consideration if it were not that the chairman have shares in this private entity, would they have won the bid. These are questions that the Belizean people need to know. And I got the information from the member on NHI because he was not satisfied, he said he raised the question, and he was barked at, so I brought it to the honorable house so that the minister can verify."
Jules Vasquez:
"You believe he misspoke on his response?"
Hon. Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"Absolutely, I believe the member, Dr Angel Campos, that sits on the committee, that he did not vote, I believe that. Furthermore to make it as if it is normal that a PPP would be housed in government infrastructure, is absolutely not true, it is unprecedented."
"I am saying to the Belizean people that they need to know and monitor the performance of this government because they are doing nothing better than what they accuse the former administration of doing."
