I bring You Tidings of Comfort and Joy

By Bill Lindo

Belize City, Jan 3^rd 2021:  About two years ago the Research Committee of the Peoples United Party (PUP) submitted to the National Executive Committee a report – A Belize Free of Poverty, which insisted that the strategic objectives of the PUP in government is to grow the economy at the rate of at least 10% per annum, in order to cut the unemployment rate (14% – 2018, now some 34% because of Covid 19) in half in 5 years, reduce the overall trade deficit by 50% in 10 years, cut the poverty rate (58% – 2018) in half in 5 years, and enhance citizen security for all Belizeans whether at home, in the streets and at our borders. In brief, a PUP-led Government will work towards a Belize that works for all.  In other words, the PUP will create a revolution – transforming Belize by creating 10,000 new jobs per year (50,000 new jobs in 5 years).

When the above was researched and written, there was no Covid 19 and no global economic collapse. On November 12^th 2020, the PUP, having won an overwhelming victory, formed the new government and holds 25 out of 31 seats in the House of Representatives.

The political party of George Price is no ordinary political party. It was founded September 29^th 1950. It’s now 70 years old. From the very beginning it was a political party devoted to the General Welfare/Common Good of the principle of man made in the image of his Creator – that policies of state must ensure the cognition, and reason, of every single Belizean citizen must be developed and cultivated, to develop all children, to develop all adults, equally, and to promote actively that General Welfare/Common Good, and to improve the condition of the present and future generations their General Welfare/Common Good. This is the only moral authority and the chief responsibility of a legitimate government.

Article Six of the Constitution of the People’s United Party details its Aims and Objectives^[1].  It is in this Article that the support for the principle of the General Welfare/Common Good is based.  It provides the foundation for the crafting of a Political-Economy Policy for the PUP and any PUP-Government.

Article Six notes that Principal Aims and Objects of the PUP are:

1. To consolidate and preserve National Unity, based on respect for equality of all citizens regardless of race, ethnicity, colour, disability, gender, creed or social status with due regard for all regions of Belize.

• To defend and maintain the Independence of Belize, its territorial integrity, full sovereignty, and freedom of its people.

• To achieve full Economic Independence by pursuing a national policy that stimulates higher economic productivity and development and that Eradicates Poverty through Self Reliance and Full Employment.

• To ensure that Belize is governed by a Democratic Government.

• To ensure that every Belizean has the Right to freedom of expression, of movement, of religious belief, of association, and the Right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness based on the principles of social justice.

• To ensure that every Belizean has a Right to work, free from Victimization or discrimination and the Right to organize, unionize, and strike, and that they receive a just return for their Labour based on a living wage, a fair share of the national wealth, and a continuously improving quality of life.

• To ensure that our Natural Resources are owned controlled and managed in order to ensure the benefit for the Belizean people with Maximum Belizean Ownership and Management.

• To ensure that every Belizean has equal access to Quality, Relevant and Practical Education from pre-school to university with a special emphasis on Universal Secondary School enrolment and completion.

• To ensure that all Belizeans have equal access to Quality and Universal Health Care.

1. To vigorously pursue policies and programmes that protect and promote children, the Youths, the Elderly, Women and those who are Mentally or Physically challenged.

1. To work for world peace and security through regional cooperation and the United Nations on the principle of the Interest of the Other.

1. To participate in Elections at all levels with a view to forming national, municipal, village and community governments to achieve the preceding.

The Economic Policy of George Price’s PUP is very clear – its principal aim is the Economic Independence of Belize.

The Economic Independence of Belize must be achieved through efforts that promote:

1. Self-Reliance through high economic productivity.  This leads to full employment and the eradication of poverty;
2. That the creation of money and control thereof in all its forms, including the national currency is, and remains the sole responsibility of the people through their duly elected representatives;

• That it is the sacred duty of government to intervene actively in the economic life of the nation in order to achieve full employment and the eradication of poverty and secure a better life for all Belizeans;
• Every Belizean has the right to work, the right to unionize and to strike;
• Every employed Belizean MUST receive a just return for their labour and MUST be based on a living wage;
• The quality of life MUST improve for every Belizean;
• Belize belongs to Belizeans and they MUST receive the maximum benefits from the resources of Belize.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic now demands that the government must create 18,000 new jobs per year for the next three years.   How will this be done?

The Mayor of Belize City admitted that he made a mistake when he was given the opportunity by the Party Leader, to create 1,500 new jobs in Belize City in April 2020 and he refused. Over the Christmas holidays he recanted and now agrees that starting the last week of January 2021, the Belize City Council will create 1,200 new jobs in the following areas: community gardens; sewing of uniforms and school bags; cleaning/beautification of yards; manufacturing of fresh healthy organic juices; and the production of plastic goods.

The national government will invest some $ 10 million in Belize City to create the 1,200 jobs because an election is on the horizon, and those 1,200 jobs will put some $ 1.75 million dollars per month as wages in the depressed community of the city and return $ 200,000 + per month to the coffers of government, and another $ 150,000 to City Hall. Plus the original sum of $ 10 million will be repaid in three or four years’ time; and after that, the Council will be earning some $ 8 million per year from its investment in the City.

On the national scene the George Price PUP government will create some 10,850 + new jobs between January and March 2021.  Already each of the 31 divisions have been asked by the Minister of Home Affairs to submit the names of about ten persons from their area to become new policemen and women. In addition, each division will also be submitting twelve names for the BDF. The new intake of nearly 700 will be posted at the border with Guatemala after a suitable training period. Belize’s border with Mexico is mostly the Rio Hondo River and thus easy to recognised and managed. But the Western border with Guatemala is over 100 miles of bush and no side really knows where the border is.  In the days before Independence, the British had it clearly marked with stone. The border needs to be cleared and cleaned.

Well, why not clean, clear the border with Guatemala and every 25 feet, plant a coconut tree?  If we plant the coconut trees up to a mile into Belize from the border, the Belize people and government will end up with about 64,000 acres of coconut farms.  This amount of coconut trees could yield some 103 million litres of virgin high quality coconut oil. We can export this oil to Taiwan which recently signed a free trade agreement with Belize. The value of the oil should be some USD $ 412 million or B $ 824 million per year. And when we add in the by-products, such as, flour, activated charcoal, etc. the foreign exchange will be more that USD $ 1.2 billion dollars.

To produce this amount of coconut products we need the 700 security personnel that are currently being hired, in addition to 1,300 skill workers, 800 factory workers and about 8,000 youths-at-risk, as well as 50 administrative personal from the civil service.  All the gang-bangers will be sent to boot-camp to be educated, discipline, and trained. And they will each work in the coconut farms some 4 days per week and attend school for 2 days per week. On Sunday they will not work but attend Church services. They will be paid $ 10,400 per year. Schools, churches, health facilities, apartments, shops, and entertainment centres will be established within the one mile zone of the border from North to South.

Belize imports about B $ 19 million dollars’ worth of oils and fats each year. Most of it vegetable fats loaded with omega-6 – linoleic acid which is the leading cause of diabetes, obesity and other insulin resistance, and metabolic diseases. Belize will now be self-sufficient in oils and fats and also solve a deadly health problem.  And Belizean workers will be gainfully employed instead of foreigners.

The establishment of these farms entails land clearing, planting, fertilizers, and other inputs. The cost is about B $ 1,300/acre X 64,000 acres = B $ 83.2 million dollars, including B $ 185.3 million dollars for capital expenditures (buildings, machinery and equipment) or a total investment of B $ 268.5 million over 4 years or $ 67.125 million per year. Now we hear every day the nonsense that Government is broke. By definition, no sovereign government, especially a George Price PUP government can be broke.

A sovereign government has two powers no individual has – it can tax (legally put its hands in your pocket); and it can create new money.  Some USD $ 18 million must be foreign exchange to buy machinery, equipment and some fertilizers each year. Most fertilizers and machinery will be made in Belize from Belizean raw materials and labour. Belize government cannot create that foreign exchange. At present our government does not have the USD $ 18 million dollars per year. So where do we find it?  We borrow it from Taiwan. Already our George Price PUP government is talking to Taiwan for a loan to bail-out the merchants by giving them access to foreign exchange so they can continue to import a lot of unnecessary foolishness. So, is it not better to borrow from our Taiwanese friends so that we can improve the lives of our Belizeans who gave us such an overwhelming mandate to better their lives, not better the merchant’s lives, especially those who wants to supress our Taiwanese friends?

The balance of B $ 49.125 million should come from our National Bank of Belize and Central Bank.  That’s their purpose – to create new money for our national government for the productive sector – agriculture, manufacturing and infrastructure.

This one project will solve the border problem with Guatemala; create over 10,000 new jobs in just four years; solve the crime problem; reduce the trade deficit not by 50% in ten years, but reduce it by 80% in 4 years; and, increase government revenue by 68% in under 3 years. Plus the health of Belizeans will drastically improve with the consumption of less linoleic acid.

The new George Price PUP government under the leadership of John Briceno will not only keep its Manifesto promises; but will institute the mixed economy of George Price — Exploiting nature rather than men,  tariff protection of local agriculture and manufacturing because free trade has always benefit the strong at the expense of the weak,   high wages to workers, because as E. Peshine Smith, wrote: “In order to make labour-cheap, the labourer must be well-fed, well-clothed, well-lodged, well-instructed.”

In the following weeks, more details will be released.

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[1] The Creed and Aims and Objectives of the Peoples United Party was first published in 1952 and amended at the 2010 National Convention under the leadership of Hon. John Briceno to state that full Economic Independence can only be achieved through self-reliance and full employment that Eradicates Poverty.