Opposition Leader Responds to Prime Minister: “We Cannot Eat 5.1% Growth”
Opposition Leader Tracy Panton delivered her own address in response to Prime Minister John Briceño’s State of the Nation Address. Panton is directly challenging his framing of the country’s economic performance and accusing the government of leaving out serious issues facing everyday Belizeans.
Panton opened by criticizing the Prime Minister’s central message, that at forty-five years of age, he embodies Belize.
“He told us to look at him, that at forty-five, he is Belize. Mr Prime Minister, with respect, you are not Belize. Belize is the cane farmer in Orange Walk, the fisherman in Sarteneja, the market vendor trying to make a living, and the mother in Belize City trying to stretch a dollar that simply cannot be anymore.”
She argued that the government’s economic statistics don’t reflect what ordinary Belizeans are actually experiencing day to day. “The Prime Minister says the economy is growing at five point one per cent. He says employment is at ninety-eight per cent. He says Belize has a strong dollar. I have a very simple question: Are we feeling it? When you go to the grocery store, are we feeling the five point one per cent growth? When you fill your vehicle with fuel approaching sixteen dollars a gallon, are we feeling it? When we pay our electricity bill, when we pay rent, when we try to put food on the table, an economy cannot simply look good on paper. It has to work for the people.”
Panton also downplayed the significance of Belize’s recently reaffirmed B-/B credit rating. “The Prime Minister also spoke about Belize’s B-minus credit rating. Let’s put that into perspective. B-minus is still deep in speculative territory. It is certainly not something we should dress up and celebrate as proof that all is well. We cannot eat five point one per cent growth. We cannot put a credit rating in our gas tanks, and we cannot tell struggling families that the economy is doing wonderfully when our money buys less and less.”
On electricity, Panton said Belizeans don’t need an explanation for rising costs; they need results. “Explanations don’t lower the bill. The Prime Minister spent time explaining why electricity bills have gone up. We are not asking the government for an explanation as to why. We simply want a solution as to how to bring it down.”
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She pointed to the loss of supply from Mexico’s CFE as a deeper concern behind the temporary measures announced by the government. “By the Prime Minister’s own admission, Mexico’s CFE cut Belize’s electricity supply to zero. Now we are filling that gap with a temporary six-month diesel arrangement while waiting for the promised solar and battery capacity promised in 2023, sometime in 2027.”
While she acknowledged the removal of GST from residential electricity bills up to $200 as a welcome step, she said it doesn’t address the underlying issue. “That provides some relief, and we welcome it. However, removing a tax from an increasing bill doesn’t solve the underlying problem. Belizeans need reliable, affordable energy, and we need it now.”
Turning to the September 10th Sarstoon incident, Panton praised the Belizeans who participated while raising concerns about the broader security implications. “I salute every Belizean that was present. Their courage was real. Their patriotism was real. But we must not confuse courage with security. What happened on the Sarstoon should trouble us. Belizeans were challenged while travelling in territory that belongs to us. Brave citizens found themselves on the frontline of a sovereignty issue. That cannot become normal. Our Belize Defence Force must have the resources, equipment, and political backing necessary to protect our sovereignty and our people. Belizeans should never have to prove our sovereignty through civilian courage alone.”
Panton devoted much of her address to what she said was missing entirely from the Prime Minister’s speech, pointing to unanswered questions about corruption and accountability within government. “Where was the serious discussion about corruption and accountability? Where was the response to the questions being raised about unexplained wealth and conduct at senior levels of the public service? While nurses struggle and patients search for medications, Belizeans have every right to demand accountability from those entrusted with public resources. We deserve answers.”
She also raised concerns about new village trade taxes, ongoing school transportation issues, and police morale. “What about the new village trade taxes affecting entrepreneurs and small vendors when they can least afford it? What about parents struggling with the school transportation crisis today, while the government talks about new buses coming tomorrow? What about the morale of our police officers? Men and women being asked to protect us while many feel under-resourced and unsupported. These are not small matters. They are the everyday realities of Belizeans. And a State of the Nation Address should confront them. Because sometimes what a government chooses not to talk about tells us just as much as what it does.”
Panton closed by outlining what she described as an alternative vision for the country nd rejecting the Prime Minister’s framing of himself as synonymous with Belize. “I believe we can build a Belize where economic growth reaches the kitchen table, where public money is treated with respect because every dollar earned is earned on the backs of the Belizean people, and where contracts and procurement are transparent. Where allegations of corruption are investigated and wrongdoing has consequences regardless of who is involved. Where families can afford electricity and the government has a real energy security plan. Where our soldiers have the resources they need to defend our sovereignty, and where a young Belizean can work hard, build a home, raise a family, and believe that their best future is right here at home.”
“Mr Prime Minister, this morning you told Belizeans to look at you, that at forty-five, you are Belize. I see it differently. Belize is not one man. Belize is all of us. Our country faces serious challenges. I refuse to believe that those challenges are greater than our people. We can do better. We must do better together. We will do better. Belize does not belong to a government. It does not belong to a political party. Belize belongs to its people. It is the people who must always come first.”