BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Mar. 8, 2018– Prime Minister Dean O. Barrow is presenting the 2018-2019 budget to the House of Representatives tomorrow, Friday. The budget exercise lacks the fanfare of previous years when the government held widespread consultation with stakeholders.

Sources within the Opposition People’s United Party are hinting that this budget will be especially painful for Belizeans.

The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry has also lamented the government’s lack of consultation in its preparation of the budget for this new fiscal year.

Details of the budget are not known, because the Opposition will not receive their documents until tomorrow morning.

At a press conference this afternoon in Belize City, Prime Minister Barrow was asked if he intends to raise taxes in his new budget.

The Prime Minister replied that there will be no increase in taxes, and then in a euphemistic twist, declared, “Within limits of the current tax application, there may be some tweaking.”