The high cost of living - who has the answer for it? Many look to the government - which has been threatening to enforce price controls - but actually implementing that has proven to be a formidable challenge.
The Prime Minister told us yesterday that indeed the devil has proven to be in the details:
Reporter
"What do you say to the Belizeans who continue to see a rise in the cost of basic goods and commodities? I know that the party has set up a task first, but we haven't heard anything from them as yet."
John Briceno, Prime Minister
"I know that is a frustration. I mean, despite all the good that we've been doing, that is something that is constantly bedeviling us. It's a constant challenge. And its not something that we are trying to act as if it's not there."
"And we had another meeting with the Chamber of Commerce the week before I left. And again, we have decided now that of that long list of 40, what they are pointing out, for instance, cornflakes is the easiest one."
"They have about 20 different cornflakes. So now what we want to do is to narrow it into the basic food items so that then it will be easier to police. So we are working on that. We are working on some training for the people that will be able to use it."
"So we have not given up on that. But also now I think that many of these business places are starting to realize that we are getting more and more serious. So I am hoping that some of that will also temper that propensity to just raise price."
