The PM estimates that by August, most of the multilateral monies will be in.
For local governments though, there is no such relief on the horizon. they are strapped for cash and forced to send workers home. They've asked government to guarantee and overdraft for them as bridge financing and today the PM said "no can do":
Reporter
"I do understand that they are asking government two things; 1) they are asking if government could offer a temporary bank guarantee on an overdraft that they want to obtain. They are ask to apply, but they need to get a guarantee."Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"They have approach the banks and they have not approach the banks on that basis. They've approach the banks on the basis that government is to guarantee their overdraft. I am very sorry, but we can't. We are talking about overdraft facilities, it's not even a long-term loan that with some grace period that we could perhaps have a hope of seeing the municipalities begin to repay on themselves and so spearing government from having to find money that it does not have and cannot find. You're talking about overdraft facilities a continuing thing. That's as good as asking government to find the money and give it to them and we wish we could, but we cant. I'm sorry."Reporter
"For at least for the rest of the fiscal year if GOB would consider offering municipalities duty free fuel or reduction in fuel prices, would this be considered then?"
Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister
"No ma'am and let me tell you why, I've just gone through the figures and the way revenues are collapsing. One of the most certain of our revenue sources is the tax on fuel. Of course collections have also gone down tremendously even in that regard, because the volume of fuel that is being consumed has drop precipitously, but since we have to pay public officers, we have to operate the government, we have to provide for health, we have to provide for education, we have to provide for security, we cannot give up even the little that is remaining to us in terms of revenue collections. So, again I am very sorry."Channel 7