We move now on to the motion that seemed to spark the biggest controversy in today's debate. That's the General Revenue Supplementary Appropriation # 1 of 2022/2023, where the Briceno government is seeking parliamentary approval to spend an additional sum of a little more than 68 million dollars. That's in addition to the 1.36 billion-dollar budget that was approved just three months ago.
Here's the back and forth on that bill from the Senate Today:
Eamon Courtenay - Leader of Government Business
"The purpose of this is to comply with the law and to bring to the attention of this National Assembly and the public additional expenditure by the government."
Phillip Willoughby - Interim UDP Senator
"It is the intent of this Government to continue burdening us with more taxation and more loans. And to what end, Madam President?"
Jacklyn Burns - UDP Senator
"I'm quite aware that the government passed the budget three months ago for this financial year. It's a bit alarming that at this point, we are coming back with a supplementary four six to my 69 million dollars. And so we do have to ask the question, why, in only three months, have we come to the realization that we need an additional $69 million?"
Isabel Bennett - PUP Senator
"You have a budget. Even the vendor that sells fruits at the schools has a budget. But when there are external factors coming in impacting this budget, you have to be able to reallocate and reprioritize."
Janelle Chanona - NGO Senator
"We certainly, as active proponents of civil society engagement and citizen engagement, are in full support of consultation and regular temperature checks, especially as something as fundamental as the legalization of marijuana. So, we see that any money spent to obtain a national vote on such an issue is critical. We do hasten to add that we look forward to seeing how the 5 million will be broken down."
Antonio Herrera - UDP Senator
"First of all, you mentioned the Ministry of Health and Wellness. During the budget speech, we had already allocated 11 million, and here we are for another 9 million, which is mostly going to be spent on pharmaceuticals and supplies. Madam President, as all of us know, COVID 19 is on the decrease. We are returning to some kind of normal lives that we present ourselves today, and yet we have $9 million allocated to pharmaceuticals and supplies."
Kevin Herrera - Business Senator
"I am thankful that several of the senators are backing my proposal that I made earlier with respect to going a little farther than we have in the past in terms of auditing some of those projects once we've undertaken them; as we mentioned before, we want to ensure that every dollar that we spend is well spent, so that when we have to pay about these amounts in the future, that we won't be paying for excesses that weren't necessary."
Collet Montejo - PUP Senator
"The Constitution is what we are ensuring that we maintain here, and that side of the House has a problem in keeping with the Constitution. They spent 1.3 billion unconstitutionally. The hypocrisy is what I cannot deal with, and this is why the Belizean people see right through them."
Eamon Courtenay
"You will go on record today voting against a supplementary, and the Belizean people must know what you voted against. This supplement is up 5 million for the referendum. You will vote how? Say it, man. You will vote no."
As you heard, Senator Willoughby called for a division of the votes on this bill. There were eight votes in favor, three votes against - including Senator Willoughby, and two senators were absent from today's meeting. With that, the supplementary appropriation bill passed in the Senate.
