Here are the interviews from Belize Channel 7 on last night's newscast:
Belizeans Preparing for Nationwide Shutdown
The NTUCB calls it a peaceful revolution and tonight, it has Belizeans across the city making it with only a trickle of water. The outage which we are told is a product of maintenance work and not industrial action has affected mainly residences on the south side which are right now still without water, while there is low water pressure reported in some areas on the north side. But a full outage is still in the works and water unionists tell us that the best advice they can offer to city residents is that they should bathe and get their reservoirs full early tomorrow.
But that's only a small part of tomorrow's worries as schools and businesses will be shut down all in protest of the Musa administration's new tax measures. We'll have comment from the teacher's union leader in just a few minutes ago as our news team caught up with the NTUCB group at a special planning meeting that is going on right now. But, first.... today, the fear of shortages created a consumer panic across the city as shoppers thronged stores buying the kinds of supplies that typically would only be used in a hurricane. 7NEWS was on the streets for the disaster readiness shopping frenzy.
Keith Swift Reporting,
Today Belizeans were preparing for the worse.
Shopper #1,
"Preparing for this thing like it is a hurricane because without water and light, you can't eat and you can't bathe and you know women have to bathe."
Shopper #2,
"This reminds me of when they had Heads of Agreement when all the stores were broken up. I could remember because I got tear-gassed and I can remember about it. All the stores downtown, Orange Street, Albert Street, King Street, all the stores were broken up. It was a real riot and I can never forget about that."
It is not the Heads of Agreement or a natural disaster but today Belizeans were filling carts and reaching deep into their mid-week pockets to prepare for a mass shutdown of businesses. So what were people buying? We looked into the carts of frenzied shoppers at Publics Supermarket.
Shopper #1: I am stacking up on a little food because I need to feed my grandson. I don't worry about me but my grandson. I have some eggs and things, which I could use. Like for bread I bought my flour because I can knead and make my little fry cake. But I am telling you water is gone so I had to use a little milk pan to wash my underarm.
KS: What are you expecting to happen?
Shopper #1: I am expecting the worse to come and no better; the worse.
AN: Where is the money coming from to buy this?
Shopper #1: Well I had to go borrow a little money. This is money I borrowed to do some shopping because I am broke and I have to work tomorrow so this is like hurricane.
Shopper #3: The water is already cut off so I am just stacking up on supplies to last me the next few days because they say water going, light going, and phone going.
KS: What do you think will happen?
Shopper #3: I am really not sure man but I am just preparing.
KS: So what are you buying?
Shopper #3: Well just little groceries man, the basics.
Shopper #4: Well brown sugar and basic things.
KS: What are you expecting? Are you expecting for us to be blacked out from everything the next couple days?
Shopper #4: Yes.
KS: So how are you able to afford all this in the middle of the week?
Shopper #4: Well something has to happen. I have to get money from somewhere.
KS: So these are the necessities?
Shopper #4: That's right. You know you have like your noodles and macaroni and cheese…
KS: How long do you expect all of this to last you?
Shopper #5: Well I have some home left over from the Christmas holiday so this is just to add on to what I have.
KS: You are stocking up on candles.
Shopper #2: Yes, I am getting candles because I heard no light and you have to have light right.
KS: And then I see you have flour and…
Shopper #2: Flour and rice. These are the staple foods right and I could make fry cake and tortilla.
But tortillas is not the only concern of the people, today lines of cars cued up to fill up on gas as the frenzied mood of uncertainty possessed city dwellers as well as those living out of the city.
Driver,
"You need that for transport because I live up north and if I want to go out this weekend now is the only time I can buy gas."
The mass shutdown will be a mass inconvenience but for one driver it's worth it.
Driver,
"I'm glad people are taking a stand though. We need to take a stand as a whole country together. Me personally I think it is a good move so we just have to keep on praying and ask the Lord to guide us and guide our Ministers and thing. I believe this country really need prayers right now."
PM Musa Urges Calm...
And to try and allay the kind of panic that was evidence in the city today, at 12:30 the Prime Minister made a national address on the radio. He urged calm and promised to maintain a level of comfort for the populace even in the face of possible water and electricity outages. The PM also took a political swing at Opposition Leader Dean Barrow; here are remarks from both leaders.
Dean Barrow, Opposition Leader
"This budget then with unbelievable gall and faciness demands that we pay for the plunder of DFC and SSB, for Intelco and Mahogany Heights, for Los Lagos and Galleria Maya. This budget demands that we pay for all the scandals and the waste, the corruption and the rape of the past 6 years. But this budget is the last straw, the final insult, and the positive proof of the complete and absolute illegitimacy of this government. There is now not only a total lack of confidence in the current administration but a disgust and anger that is at boiling point. If there is one ounce of good sense remaining, if this administration can care even a wit for our devastated country, they will finally do the right thing, the decent thing, and the democratic thing. And so I implore them, do not let our nation become ungovernable. Do not let it slide into chaos. For all our sake and for all the Belizean people, go and go now."
Said Musa, Prime Minister
"It is unfortunate that the constitutional Leader of the Opposition has chosen to make a call to our peace loving people that can only be interpreted as a summons to civil unrest and lawlessness. We are faced with threats to interrupt our essential services and in particular our water supply. As a responsible government we will not stand idly by and allow our people to remain without that essential of life, water. We cannot allow our children, our mothers, our elderly, or any of our people to endure the real suffering that lack of water will entail. Rest assured that we will protect you and ensure that you have the water and electricity you need to continue to enjoy the basic comforts of life."
For the full text of the Prime Minister's message click here.
...While Unions Prepare for Peaceful Revolution
In his statement, the Prime Minister chided the unions for making the lives of Belizeans uncomfortable. But they are not hearing or having it. The unions have adopted a hardline in which they call this a peaceful revolution, where according to a statement, they, "hope for the best and prepare for the worst." Tomorrow the worst means that school will not be in session as teachers are going on an immediate strike.
This evening as the NTUCB leaders met to discuss strategy, Keith Swift got comment from the President of the BNTU, Anthony Fuentes.
Anthony Fuentes, BNTU President
"We were on the radio station this morning, LOVE FM, and we've made the call to all our teachers, from both pre-school up to the University of Belize, to be on a strike for two days which will be Thursday and Friday."
Keith Swift,
What do you expect these children to do for the next two days?
Anthony Fuentes,
"Well we have said over and over again that its time for us as educators of this country to stand for the rights of the Belizean people. And we made it clear that we will not stand up for any increased or new taxes."
Keith Swift,
We know the teachers won't be in school but I understand a demonstration is planned?
Anthony Fuentes,
"Yes a demonstration will be held in the districts of Corozal, Orange Walk, Belize City, and the Toledo District. Then on Friday, we have 10 branches of BNTU, so teachers from Stann Creek, Cayo, and Belmopan itself will be in Belmopan to demonstrate against the new increases in taxes."
Keith Swift,
The management council of the NTUCB is meeting right now. What is being discussed?
Anthony Fuentes,
"Well as a responsible organization we need to assess what is going on so far and assess any further plan of action that we might want to undertake."
No other union leader would comment on camera as they are still devising their strategy. A union official from Belize Water Services stressed that the service interruption this afternoon in some areas of the city was planned and approved by the City Council as part of regular maintenance. That official however warned that there may be interruptions tomorrow. And while BEL via press release has assured customers that they have a contingency plan in place, no official from your water company was available to do the same.
And Businesses Agree to 2-Day Shutdown
But the national shutdown they seem to be planning goes along with the Chamber's decision to shutdown tomorrow. Last night at the meeting, the chamber membership agreed to a two-day shutdown of their member businesses. After the meeting, Chamber President Arturo 'Tux' Vasquez explained to Keith Swift.
Arturo Vasquez, Chamber of Commerce President
"A resolution was passed for the closure of businesses. The initial resolution by the executive was really to have an agreement on whether they were prepared to close down as a means of making a stance or at least making a point."
Keith Swift,
What do you hope this will accomplish?
Arturo Vasquez,
"At this point I believe we've had a lot of discussions. I think government having read their budget on Friday and passed all 3 readings of the finance bills and made it law, perhaps closes the door to continue dialogue on that regard. We also think that the reforms that we have been requesting are being inadequately addressed as well. So from the point of view of the executive and certainly as President I think we have done our part. Now it comes to taking it to the membership now for first of all for them to agree that our position has been correct all along and if that is the case then what really is our way forward. That was the purpose of this meeting today. This meeting was to first of all update our members which I did in my presentation. The immediate reaction really was that people are disappointed with what occurred. So the main objective today was coming up with a resolution and a way forward. The resolution the Chamber had made, initially, was suggesting a shutdown. We don't want to address not paying any taxes at this point. We need to leave some further dialogue for later on. The recommendation was a one day shutdown. Interestingly as we presented this to the membership, nobody was satisfied with just one day, the majority was shouting for 2 or more. But I don't feel we need to get too irresponsible at this point. I think we need to address it little by little. So the resolution, to answer your question, is it's a two day shutdown for Thursday and Friday."
Joining the Chamber chorus, the Belize Business Bureau today called for a 3-day shutdown of businesses. The BBB noted that the increased environment and business taxes will burden Belizeans. The BBB has asked all their members to close tomorrow through to Saturday. The Chamber says that it has confirmed that 123 businesses will close down tomorrow, including 25 Chinese Grocers. Brodies will remain open meanwhile Atlantic and Scotia Banks along with Bowen and Bowen Limited have voiced support for the effort but they will not close.
The following is today's article in local Reporter. I needed to run some errands and I got into some traffic downtown because of rally and speeches.
No big problems so far, it is serious business to take this action and so far everyone is being calm and adult about it.
Belize news updates at http://www.belizenews.com
Shutdown! Commerce, Schools, Utilities in revolt
Thursday, 20 January 2005
The Belize private sector has decided to shut down all commercial operations today Thursday and tomorrow Friday, January 20-21 to demonstrate their strong disapproval of the government’s decision to ignore repeated calls for economic and political reform.
It is expected that most of the essential services including electricity power, water and telephones will join the start of a two-day protest.
Schools, including the University of Belize will take an enforced holiday as members heed the call of the Belize National Teachers Union and most public officers take some sort of industrial action, either ‘work to rule or go slow.’
The general membership of the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry approved a resolution for a complete shutdown of business houses for two days at a special general meeting held on Tuesday, January 18 at the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel.
The Chamber’s General Manager Kevin Herrera explained the decision was made “to put pressure” on the Musa government to heed its request to forego any new taxes until GOB has reformed its way of managing public finances.
This unprecedented measure was the private sector’s response to Prime Minister Musa’s new revenue measures, which were put through their first, second and third readings all on the same day during last Friday’s sitting of the House of Representatives.
The Belize Business Bureau has also endorsed the protest, stating its opposition to new taxes and affirming that “this is the opportune time to enact political reform and anti-trust laws.”
The Chamber cautioned Musa as early as last November 8, in a letter that the business community would not countenance new taxes until the government put into effect a plan of financial reform. When the Chamber got no response from Musa, its executive met with representatives of the major unions of Belize on November 24.
After this meeting he received a joint communique from the Chamber and the Unions which stated flatly they would not agree to pay any new taxes or tax increases until certain reforms were implemented.
The letter was signed by Chamber President Arturo Vasquez and the General Secretary of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize, George Frazer.
They called on Musa to begin an investigation to determine whether there was any “wrongdoing” in what they described as “gross mismanagement of public finances” and to implement serious reforms to prevent such a situation from recurring.
The letter also called for constitutional amendments, as recommended by the Political Reform Commission of 2000.
These calls for more transparency and prudence in managing the public debt, better judgement in the awarding of government contracts, to make the office of the Auditor General truly independent, to discontinue the policy of arbitrary waivers of government fees (for the politically well-connected), to disclose and gazette all current and future government contracts in excess of $100,000 and to address the issue of abuse of constitutional rights. Musa responded with an official release that paid little more than lip service to the Chamber’s concerns and the country got its first preview of what was to come when he presented his draft budget during a consultation process at the Central Bank’s conference room in Belize City on January 3.
The Public Service Union, the Belize National Teachers Union and the Trade Union Congress have also expressed their displeasure at the new taxes, which will send the cost of living soaring. They organised a joint protest outside the National Assembly building when the 2005 budget was read. Herrera said if the Musa government does not respond favourably to the two-day shutdown, the Chamber may decide on follow-up action next week and keep up the pressure until the financial reforms are implemented.
The Chamber is especially concerned at the way interest payments to service public debt have grown from $60 million to more than a $100 million under the Musa administration. This year GOB will pay $220 million in principal and interest to service the public debt. “It is just too much!”, Herrera said.
The private sector is concerned at the way the government has privatised all the revenue-earning public assets into the hands of political cronies, while allowing the public sector to assume their debt by guaranteeing the many loans made by Intelco, D.F.C., Prosser-B.T.L., and so on.
The wave of national anger that has greeted the Musa budget has been gathering momentum long before last Friday.
The collapse of Intelco, which left the government holding millions of dollars in meaningless collateral, the failure of the D.F.C., brought on by the default of PUP creditors, the default of the I.C.C. under Jeffery Prosser to come up with the purchase money for B.T.L. while enjoying all the benefits of ownership and now Musa’s implied desire to make Belizeans pay for all this abuse reached boiling point last Friday.