Struggling Belizean Families Wait for Cost-of-Living Relief

For Belizeans struggling to stretch their paychecks, the government’s proposed cost-of-living relief cannot come soon enough. Opposition Leader Tracy Panton says the plan must work because families urgently need help. We caught up with her in Belmopan today at the “Enough is Enough Protest” and asked whether the proposed measures go far enough.

 

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition

“Well they have to work, because the people are in desperate need. The prime minister talked about increases in the grocery bag program, I can tell you in Albert we get five thousand a month to deal with grocery bag, a very basic bag is about a hundred dollars. So, we are able to help fifty families a month. That is not enough. My understanding is that is going to increase. It is going to double. The PM also talked about providing support to housing repairs, housing assistance. We know people are building shacks because they simply can’t afford the rent. I am sure that is welcome relief. Let us look at how we are going to deal with electricity costs, transportation cost, fuel costs. There is a monopoly on the importation of vegetables from Mexico. One provider has that license. Let us open that up so there can be competition on the market so that people can actually afford to buy vegetables.”

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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