Today the UDP held a press conference where party personalities outlined several issues currently affecting the country. The Leader of the Opposition began the conference going over the rising cost of living - including the increase in fuel prices - crime, and more. Here is a snippet of her speech.
Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition
"Fuel prices in this country and I'll be brief because there are others who will speak to these issues more succinctly than I can, remain crippling despite global price reductions that happen recently. Food prices and basic services continue to rise daily. Utility rates, electricity and water are ever increasing. Recently, the PUC agreed that the increases for electricity would be fluctuating month by month, we have no idea what our electricity consumption will cost our families, I've never seen it this way before."
"Social security funds are being used as the government's piggy bank to facilitate large scale projects. There was 200 million for FORTIS shares, 200 million for the buy back of the port of Belize, 50 million invested in the national bus company, 90 million proposed for the acquisition of BTL, which my friends remains on the table and we must be ever vigilant. Now not all these sums of money come directly from the social security fund, but certainly a significant portion of these monies will be drawn from your contribution under the guise of public investment."
"While our healthcare system weakens, our streets are bleeding blood, our young men, our sons, our fathers are dropping like flies. There is blood on our streets, it should make us made as hell. This is not just a crime issue, this is a national emergency. Increasing loss of young lives due to crime and violence and road accidents. There's a growing fear and mistrust in our communities and neighborhoods of those who ought to be protecting us."
