DPM Hyde Defends Record-Breaking Budget, Fires Back at Opposition

Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde is standing firmly behind the Briceño administration’s proposed 2025/2026 budget, calling it the largest in Belize’s post-independence history. During today’s House Sitting, Hyde didn’t hold back. He took a jab at Opposition Leader Tracy Taegar-Panton, questioning whether she had even listened to the same budget presentation delivered two weeks ago. Hyde also took a moment to reflect on the state of the economy when the Briceño administration took office in November 2020, painting a picture of how far the country has come under their leadership.

 

Cordel Hyde, Deputy Prime Minister

“I rise in support of this budget, the biggest in post-independence Belize, one point seven eight billion Belize dollars, three hundred and three million dollars for the ministry of education alone, a hundred and eighty-one million for the ministry of health and wellness. A hundred and sixteen million for the ministry of home affairs, eighty- four million for the ministry of National Defense, six hundred and ninety-eight million for wages, salaries and exgratia payments and pension for our teachers and public officer. We are putting our money where our mouths are. So we forget that when we took over in November of 2020 that it was absolute worst of times. It was in the middle of COVID and tens of thousands of Belizeans were not working and hundred we drying, a total of six hundred and eighty-five. And we had to borrow a million a day to pay salaries for teachers and public officers. We were on the edge of an economic cliff. We were facing a most uncertain future, but the prime minister led and the rest is history.”