Belize Secures $250 Million MCC Grant Amid Cautionary Remarks from Opposition

It was just two weeks ago that the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Board of Directors approved a five-year US$125 million grant investment in energy and education for Belize. The MCC is an independent U.S. government development agency working to reduce global poverty through economic growth.  During his 23-minute presentation this morning, Prime Minister Briceno spoke on the benefits of the MCC initiative which will see additional sources of power coming to Belize.

John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize: “We want to look at education, education, education, education that we have to prepare our children for the economy of the future. And at the same time realizing that we want to continue to grow the economy we have to address the issues of energy in this country and I know that this is one time where the UDP could not open their mouths when we were having these serious problems with the rolling blackouts because they have seen that we have been working on this from the day we got into government as to how we have to address these problems that are confronting our country, the challenges that we’re facing as a growing country. So we went through the consultations Madam Speaker and the analysis and it was undertaken so a proposed Millennium Challenge Account Compact Program was drafted and a formal negotiations were completed on the grant agreement in April this year. Two weeks ago Madam Speaker the MCC board approved $250 million Belize dollars a grant investment. Free money. $250 million dollars, almost 25% more than 20% of the entire national budget to be invested in education and energy.”

PM Briceno noted that the board of authority for the MCC Body would include the BNTU and the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as civil society representative from the education sector.  Leader of the Opposition cited an issue that the opposition would not have a seat at the table for the MCC.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition: “You listened to the Prime Minister earlier typical old school politicking. He threw the UDP under the bus. Threw the Minister of Eduction under the bus from the UDP as if it had something to do with his incompetence or inability that we didn’t get the Millennium Challenge Grant Madam Speaker. Which has nothing to do, I would almost bet that if you research maybe the conversations for this started under the UDP. And Madam Speaker I have to correct the Prime Minister that the GDP was growing at about 4% Madam Speaker right before COVID. Right before COVID early 2020/2019 this government, this Briceño administration has not seen that type of growth. They’re at 2% Madam Speaker. The only growth they had was when the recovered after COVID19, Madam Speaker. So to try and say that they inherited a bankrupt government is ridiculous Madam Speaker. They inherited COVID19, we had no control over that Madam Speaker. And Madam Speaker the Prime Minister contradicts himself when he says that he was able to turn the economy around. So if we’re not a financially challenged country anymore how is it that we still got the $250 million Belize dollars Madam Speaker ? Stop the politics. I know you’ve been there for thirty years so that’s all you know but the new leaders of this country, the new generation we don’t like it. Right ? We want to work together for the benefit of Belize Madam Speaker and that brings me to my point of criticism of this bill Madam Speaker. You see the partisanship with which the Prime Minister presented a bipartisan bill. This is a bill that we all agree is necessary Madam Speaker but you see the partisanship in his prevention. Now you look at the composition of the board Madam Speaker. I direct the House to part three section eleven, one and you look at the composition of the board Madam Speaker there is absolutely no seat not he board for the opposition. This Madam Speaker is an affront to continuity, it is an affront to transparency, it is an affront to good governance Madam Speaker. The inclusion of the opposition, the top stakeholder of all the stakeholders has to be the opposition Madam Speaker. We are the government in waiting.”

Prime Minister Briceno rose again to debate Collet’s Area Rep, clarifying that the MCC will require full accountability in the spending of the 250 million Belize dollars.

John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize: “The difference, what the honorable member from Collet does not want to accept this is not PetroCaribe funding where they’re rolling it, and rolling it and rolling it and they bad spend the money. We can’t spend this money the way we want and I agree it is for a specific purpose and you’re talking that we don’t know that I did not say what this Millennium Challenge Authority is all about if you would look right at the very start it says “An act the establish the Millennium Challenge Account Belize Authority with the objective to implement projects which are aimed at reducing poverty, and promoting sustainable growth in Belize.” What’s so difficult to understand ? The best way to fight poverty, and you honorable member from Collet should understand the way to fight poverty is through education, education, education, education. You could give a young man a thousand dollars and pretty soon that person will be broke. But you educate him, you educate her, you give them a skill then they will forever be able to take care of themselves. That is what this is all about. And every study when I was chatting just now with the honorable member from Freetown, every study we have seen in Belize when it comes to the issue of energy and the economy they will tell you everyone of them will tell you that energy the high cost of energy is a problem to your economy and we need to find ways how we can reduce that cost. We never need the MCC to bring people to tell us that we knew that from the beginning. That’s why we managed to get this in record time.”

The Millennium Challenge Corporation Bill went through the full three readings and will go to the Senate later this month.