A major social program is now on pause and it’s drawing strong reactions from inside government. Pickstock Area Representative Anthony Mahler says he stands firmly behind the decision to halt the LIU Employment Program, arguing that the millions spent could be better invested elsewhere. He points to the country’s limited youth budget and says it’s time to redirect resources to support the many bright, capable young people across Belize who need greater opportunities to thrive.
Anthony Mahler
Anthony Mahler, Area Representative, Pickstock
“I think it is good to take a pause and reevaluate any program to see the merits of it. I support an LIU program. How that looks we will have to sit in Cabinet and re-evaluate it. But me as minister of youths, I often question how can you be spending six million dollars on five hundred and eighty-three man when seventy percent of the population is under the age of twenty-nine and the youth budget is only two point seven million dollars, or three million dollars, somewhere around there. To me we have so many bright minds across this country that we need to focus on them. But we have to create the safety nets, more free education in high school and even taking that to sixth form where we have more people enrolled and more people getting educated properly.”
Prime Minister John Briceño has echoed those sentiments in recent comments on the decision.
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