Parties spar over high gas prices: taxes being used as economic re-investment “a stunning admission,” says Opposition Leader

Posted: Monday, December 16, 2024. 2:37 pm CST.

By Aaron Humes: Prime Minister John Briceño spoke of the “big picture” as it relates to fuel prices during the Questions to Ministers period of Friday’s sitting of the House of Representatives.

Asked why gas prices remain high despite prices falling globally, the Prime Minister explained, “The point I’m trying to make that the taxes we collect from diesel and fuel and so we’re investing it in the economy… all the taxes that we collect collectively allow us to do what [we have] today in this country.”

There was much back-and-forth with Leader of the Opposition Moses “Shyne” Barrow, who objected to what he saw as straying away from the topic: “If the answer is keep the taxes high, keep the prices high on fuel because it pays for all of these, then say that. I don’t see the linkage.”

Afterward, Barrow told reporters that it is a “stunning admission” from a man who “thinks that he is smarter than everyone, he’s a bit too smart for his own good.” Reminding that while in Opposition he had promised to keep gas prices down, Barrow allowed that perhaps costs are an issue, but that keeping prices up deliberately and using the tax revenue doesn’t wash with the reality: “however the difference is, unlike the fairytale that John Briceno paints, public hospitals are complaining about not having essential supplies. The CAT scan wasn’t working again recently, teachers had to declare protest action in order for them to get a response from the Ministry of Education saying that they would finally get their increments for 2022 and 2021 and then there’s the question of increments even prior to that so it’s not all that the prime minister is saying it is but it was a stunning admission.”

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The post Parties spar over high gas prices: taxes being used as economic re-investment “a stunning admission,” says Opposition Leader appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.

Posted: Monday, December 16, 2024. 2:37 pm CST. By Aaron Humes: Prime Minister John Briceño spoke of the “big picture” as it relates to fuel prices
The post Parties spar over high gas prices: taxes being used as economic re-investment “a stunning admission,” says Opposition Leader appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.