Vol. 24 No. 18 Sunday, May 2, 2021 Page 2 THE GUARDIAN Sunday, May 2, 2021 $5 Million More and NO Vaccine Education for the Poor! By Shane D. Williams The government of Belize is borrowing five million dollars to purchase 238,000 additional doses of AstraZeneca’s Covid- 19 vaccine, but have revealed no plan to get the vaccines into the arms of poor and less educated citizens. This important endeavor requires an education campaign comparable to that of the ICJ Referendum because the people who can least afford to be hospitalized with Covid-19 are not visiting the vaccination sites for several reasons. Chief among those reasons is misinformation. News of the halting of vaccine distribution due to reports of blood clots Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccine was broadcasted sensationally, risk of getting a blood clot if recipients of the vaccine, public tests) and our case mortality rate with no effort to later educate you take the vaccine. Although confidence in vaccines have stands at 2.55 percent. The risk the masses on the rarity and European experts who studied dropped significantly. of blood clot associated with the uncertainty of a link between the link between vaccines and The latest information from AstraZeneca vaccine is 0.000004 vaccines and reported cases of blood clots found that there is the Ministry of Health shows a percent and the risk of death is blood clots. Therefore, word a possible risk of blood clot 0.11 percent positivity rate for 0.000001 percent. Therefore, the on the streets to grassroots for one in 250,000, and a risk Covid-19 tests (the majority risk of getting tested positive and communities is that there is a of death for one in a million taken with the less reliable rapid dying from Covid-19 in Belize is seven times higher than the possibility of getting a blood clot from the AstraZeneca vaccine. $0.00 for Social Assistance; And for perspective, the risk of blood clots for women taking $0.00 for COVID-19 Food Assistance birth control is 250 times greater T h e P e o p l e ’s U n i t e d under capital III expenditure, income after losing their jobs than taking the vaccine, at 0.1 Party administration this week there is literally an allocation of as a result of the pandemic. percent. completed the process of $0 for Social Assistance. There There is now no such support These figures are a lot presenting the budget. We at The is also $0 allocated for COVID- structure with no allocation to to digest, so data is much Guardian have been perusing 19 Food Assistance. these program. A few weeks ago, more difficult to spread than some aspects of the budget that It is noteworthy that these Minister of Human Development, misinformation. This is why there are critical at this point in time. were the programs which were Dolores Balderamos Garcia needs to be serious investment in One of the glaring figures that being called upon to support stated that there is a 3 million a vaccine education campaign that jumped at us on our review is at the Belizean people during dollar allocation to support can reach grassroots communities. page 192. the pandemic. The assistance the government’s grocery bag If an ICJ education approach is Under the Ministry of channeled through these program, however we are yet to not taken, the poor people will be Human Development, Families programs were integral in find this allocation in the budget left behind to die from a disease and Indigenous People’s Affairs, assisting families which had no estimates. that is now treatable. The Guardian Protecting Freedom Rights Democracy EDITOR: Alfonso Noble ADVERTISING Louis Thompson COMPOSITOR: Kristen Jimenez REPORTER: Jem Smith RECEPTIONIST/ACCOUNTS CLERK Vanessa Gillett Published by The Guardian Newspaper Limited Cor. Ebony St. & Bel China Bridge, P. O. Box 1898 Belize City, Belize Telephone: 207-5346, 207-5347 Fax: 227-5343 E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] Website: www.guardian.bz Printed by The Guardian Press Cor. Ebony St. & Bel China Bridge, P. O. Box 1898 Belize City, Belize Page 3 THE GUARDIAN Sunday, May 2, 2021 Page 4 THE GUARDIAN Sunday, May 2, 2021 STRIKE! PUP BUDGET: NOTHING FROM NOTHING A few weeks ago when would place a number of public PM Briceño rolled out his sector workers below the tax teleprompter and read his virgin bracket, and it will also cut the budget speech we all knew that amount of taxable income those it was lean. It was not until we in the tax bracket earn, thereby were able to go through the actual cutting government revenue numbers that we were able to from Income Tax (PAYE). understand that the budget was We have been searching for so lean that not only was there no an explanation as to how that fat in the budget, but there is also would be achieved, and the only absolutely no flesh on it either. plausible explanation is that If the budget were a person, government will be lowering the Belize National Teacher’s Union has engaged in strike action that person would be considered Income Tax threshold. Recently As of Monday April 26th the budget debate. Earlier last anorexic. Not one single line a number of employers at various , the Belize National Teacher’s week they took to public places item on the expenditure side business houses informed us Union has engaged in strike action carrying placards displaying of the budget was left uncut. about an exercise by the tax in protest of the Government of their discontent with the salary Cuts were done in places where department, where they are Belize’s decision to cut their cut. On Monday they ramped up already it was bare bones. In those going to business houses seeking salaries. They will be joined by their actions by demonstrating instances entire programs, even employees income information. the Public Service Union who across the country in parades necessary programs were cut. It is perhaps the result of that will commence their action at the various municipalities. For example a few days before survey which will be the basis on May 3. The PSU had given This was followed by more the budget debate the Minister on which a new lowered tax their 21 day notice for industrial demonstrations at the National of Human Services boasted about threshold would be done. There action on April 12 and that notice Assembly when the Senate met a measly 3 million dollars that is also another scenario, and it is expires on May 3. to discuss the budget. had been allocated for Covid-19 that the government will be hiring The BNTU has prefaced BNTU members say they are food assistance, however when a goodly number of high-paid their strike action with prepared to maintain their strike we checked on page 192 of the individuals, and they would then demonstrations at the National despite the possibility of not budget, there was absolutely be taxed. Assembly on Thursday and getting paid by the government nothing there for Covid-19 food The few things we pointed Friday of last week during while they are on strike. assistance in 2021/2022. The out are just a few of the type of monies were cut from almost cuts, and the new expenses in 28 million dollars in 2020/2021 the budget. These are cuts and to ZERO for 2021/2022. Then expenditures that we could do Pensioners take five lines above that there is without at this time, and in the nothing under the line item ‘ budget these extend to almost a $5 Million cut Social Assistance’. These cuts every government department. Prime Minister, Johnny di month in pension.” Another come at an inopportune time, Another interesting fact that Briceño appeared on Love FM’s stated that, “it is crazy cause you when Belizeans need the most was noted is that during the morning show on Wednesday barely can pay for meds. And the assistance due to the economic budget debate the members of where he confirmed that cut in pension will affect me a lot depression that many of them are the government side shied away pensioners will be taking a cut cause my pension pay my loan at facing, brought on by the COVID- from discussing the budget, and as well. Currently public officers HRCU.” Yet another pensioner 19 pandemic having rendered how it would affect their various and teachers are at odds with stated that when she heard the many of them unemployed. ministries and the delivery of the government after the budget announcement, “I had to walk What we did find in the services. Only three ministers presented last week reflected a back way.” budget is an $84,562,977 which actually discussed their ministries, salary cut to the total sum of 80 Economists suggest that has been approved for the Ministry while the other members spoke million dollars. All along the Government’s decision to take of Infrastructure Development about their victory at the polls Government had not disclosed from public officers, teachers and and Housing, to be spent on and why they believed they won. if pensioners would be affected pensioners will cause an economic infrastructure. Spending that sort Then there were others who until Wednesday, when Briceño ripple effect that will further stunt of money on infrastructure is a were completely lost and just noted that public officer who the country’s performance. They stark contrast to what the PUP made incoherent speeches.