Today's Sitting of the House of Representatives just concluded about an hour ago after a slew of bills were read and debated. The first was the Caribbean Development Bank Eighth Road Project Loan Motion - which would see the rehabilitation of the George Price Highway from Belize City to Hatteiville. The loan motion is for over $34 million US dollars - and it's only 16 miles.
So, of course, as with any large loan, the Opposition expressed grave concerns - this time, it was particularly about the length of the repayment and the fact that they say there is a lack of transparency.
Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"This is not a motion just about 15 miles of road from Belize City to Hattieville. This is 69 million dollars in new debt. This represents 22 years of repayment. And let me put that in perspective. Most student who attend primary, secondary, and even tertiary education, it doesn't take them 22 years to get through school. So imagine that a young student who starts today in 22 years they will still be saddled with this debt payment. If my math is correct, this 69 millions dollars represent 4.6 million dollars a mile and government comes to us in this honorable house simply expecting a nod, a clap, an approval, no questions are to be asked, no information is provided as though we are negotiating chump change as many of us would say. This if my information is right represents the most expensive stretch of highway the country has ever seen."
Lee Mark Chang, Area Rep., Mesopotamia
"The Burton Bridge to my knowing and using it over the years is not bad, I'm no engineer and I'm left to be stand corrected but it's usable. And you know what you say in Kriol, if it's not broken why would you change it. And it still have some more years left in it so why would we spend for spend sake?"
"The road from Belize City to Hattieville is fairly decent and drivable for at least a couple more years. I do admit the shoulder needs a little patch up but definitely it shouldn't cost 69 million dollars and it's not even hot mix they will use, there's no mention of hot mix or the details."
But the Minister for Infrastructure Development fired back, calling out two of only three Opposition members present in the House today. Here's that fiery exchange.
Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development
"I don't ask the gentleman how much MSG he put in his fried chicken, I don't, because I'm not a friend chicken specialist but I am a professional that understand infrastructure work therefore I can speak on it and I am a politician that has been here before government and during government and therefore the history speaks for itself. The UDP government under the leadership of the honorable Dean Barrow did not bring to this House 1.5 billion dollars of expenditure and it was done illegally so, I'm just reminding you when you speak of not having transparency and accountability."
"I don't know which one of you three came up here and said the George Price Highway is not a priority project. How can you say it's not a priority project when the Caracol was done before, when Corozal to Sartenja was done before under your tenure, when the George Price Highway is the most trafficked highway in this entire country and we have the statistics to prove it. It is the main artery from Belize City, the commercial center of this country to Belmopan the political center of this country. if they would come to work, they would use that everyday."
"And don't make any bush lawyer tell you about not having feasibility study, environmental. these international financial institutions do not lend loans if you do not provide the necessary documentation and studies. All of those studies are there. If you want to come to my office, I have asked Corozal north representative umpteenth times, maybe 15 times in this house, come to the ministry, come and look at the book, but you're lazy, you don't want to do your work, you stay in Corozal hiding in your cane field, come to the office."
