PUP denounces closure of unemployment assistance program; claims thousands waiting for assistance

The PUP notes that thousands of Belizeans continue to wait for unemployment assistance of $300 or $200 monthly to make ends meet at home.

The party says that according to figures from the House Meeting yesterday, only 8,000 out of 31,000 applicants for food assistance were approved meaning that 23,000 were rejected.

“Seventy-four percent (74%) of Belizeans applying for food assistance have been rejected.  Three out of every four Belizean that applied were found not eligible for food assistance. This leaves thousands of families clamoring for food supplies while delays and cancelations continue even after we learned that $10m has been budgeted and apportioned for this program,” the PUP reiterated.

Furthermore, the PUP says that this is a time when circumstances demand a full-on effort on behalf of those who do not have the means to earn money for themselves and their families.

“With over 82,000 applications, we note that what COVID-19 certainly has done is to reveal beyond doubt, the real state of unemployment in Belize and not the unemployment statistic boasted by the government at every turn. This is less, the doing of any COVID-19 pandemic and more the result of a systemic governance failure, chronic corruption and unchecked gluttony by those trusted to lead the nation,” the statement added.

In addition, the PUP says that the numbers for COVID 19 relief and food assistance programs simply do not add up.

The party says that if people are being asked to stay home, relief must accompany the measures and be done in an open, transparent and accountable manner, free from political interference.

The People’s United Party also denounces government’s decision to reject offers of assistance from recognized entities such as the Belize Red Cross