GARLAND & GOLD

Belize Keeps On Winning

Continued from page 1 poverty and enable sustainable and inclusive economic growth.”

In these same 2021 months, Destiny Wagner won Ms. Earth which is comparable to winning the Ms. Universe for being environmentally sound. Belize had negotiated the Blue Bond ultra-successfully. This worldclass award-magnet bond is conservation-debt reduction still unparalleled today. Governments and Organizations from all continents have invited John Briceño and economic team in a …How-did-you-do-it frenzy? And a, please show me, or, if not, When can we meet you, Mr. Prime Minister? Let’s go to Belize is the world trend for some months now. This is on for the unforeseeable future.

Today, Belize is still on an upswing as it has never been before in

Cabinet Brief

Belmopan, 13th April 2023.

The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño, met on 11th April 2023.

• Cabinet discussions centered on the effects of global inflation on the cost of living in Belize. Following a meeting with the Chinese retail community, Cabinet has issued instructions for meetings with major importers and wholesalers with a view to eliminating gouging or bloating at every level of the supply chain. While inflation is a global pandemic, Cabinet realizes that it must do everything in its power to mitigate the impact on our people.

• Following two weeks of intervention with the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association and Belize Sugar Industries, Hon. Kareem Musa, Cabinet subcommittee chair, tasked with charting a path forward for the sugar industry, briefed Cabinet. Minister Musa reported that both sides have expressed the determination to reach a fair and transparent resolution to the impasse for the good of the industry and that serious discussions between parties are ongoing based on good faith, and not tension.

• Cabinet was advised that the process to resume the payment of performance-based increments to public officers, effective 1st April 2023, has commenced. There was unanimous agreement that moving forward, increments must be based on actual performance, and every discussion with the Joint Unions must include the implementation of a comprehensive and objective appraisal system.

• Cabinet gave its support for the adaptation of the recommendations by the Ministry of Tourism & Diaspora Relations, in conjunction with the Belize Tourism Board, to amend the agreement between Government and Belize Island Holdings Limited, in relation to the Harvest Caye Cruise Port in Southern Belize, to improve and define future growth and development of the Harvest Caye Port.

• Cabinet gave its recommendation for amendments to the Law Revision Act to better reflect the current state of law with respect to Money Laundering and the Terrorism Prevention Act. These amendments will be introduced at the next sitting of the House of Representatives.

• Cabinet gave its approval for the ratification of the World Trade Organization Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, which will establish new global rules for eliminating harmful subsidies and protecting global fish stocks.

• Cabinet endorsed the updated National Climate Change Policy, Strategy and Master Plan, the Low Emission Development Strategy, and the National Climate Finance Strategy as national documents. Additionally, Cabinet gave its approval to provide support for the coordination, mainstreaming, and implementation of appropriate climate change mitigation and adaptation measures to pursue low-carbon and climate-resilient development pathways.

• Cabinet requested that a subcommittee comprising Sustainable Development, Energy, Natural Resources, Rural Development and Agriculture meet to follow up on the strategies for water resources management, including aquifers (ground) and surface water.

• Finally, Cabinet reminds all motorists to drive safely, and with care and attention.

its forty plus years of Independence. Being recognized, lauded, trusted, followed are fruits of planBelize and the Briceño team’s enterprising spirit. Our naysayers have virtually disappeared. The opposition appears once in a while when their 08-20 corruption continues to be exposed in a never-ending rusty chain. Otherwise, planBelize is throttling smoothly on all its cylinders. When the Briceño administration needs to change oil it is a clean visit.

So, the United States has noticed and the picture-taking besides Prime Minister Briceño and team is incessant. Everyone wants a piece of this winning. Everyone wants to be beside success. If you know John Briceño, you will know that he wants more for his people. He will be unrelenting until poverty is eradicated from Belize. Notice how he convened Cabinet on Easter Tuesday. Vacation time is done. Time to work. He will not rest until every Belizean truly wins—Education, Job, Land, Home, and Health are the impetus in planBelize. PUP’s commitment to Serve the People until Belize is working for everyone is more powerful than ever. Name the field and Belize is excelling there at a rate never been seen before. Take Governance…Belize as a nation is in the midst of a widespread consultation not only to improve planBelize but to improve its governance so that we can grow, improve and create a better quality of life for everyone.

Take finance and wow…the magic and marvels of negotiating and lowering of the GDP to debt ratio to a level the IMF could not believe. But Belize did it. Belizeans sacrifice did it in record time and now the Public Service and teachers have their increments back before due time.

As you cross over the old Haulover bridge. Look at the new replacement and shake your head and think…the UDP were going to bamboozle the people out of millions had they been voted into office again. The Haulover replacement will forever be a symbol of how Belize turned away from the gloom-and-doom UDP to bloom-and-boom PUP. Oscar Quiroz and Demetrie Myers are riding and running their personal glory while the country relishes in watching them wear the Garland and Gold. Everybody wins!