NEW HOME OWNERS 50

On February 1, 2023, the Government of Belize via the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing (MIDH) officially opened the long-awaited newly built housing site dubbed “Blackberry Ridge Estates” in the Burrell Boom community in the Belize Rural North, Belize District. The name Blackberry Ridge Estates was chosen because of the high number of blackberry trees in the area. The official ceremony began with the planting of a Mahogany Tree, our national tree, by Hon. Prime Minister Hon.

John Briceño, Hon. Julius Espat, Minister of MIDH, and Hon. Marconi Leal. A new tree to signify the beginning of this community. The MIDH project is “Changing Lives one family at a time.” This is planBelize all over.

The estate is built on twenty-five acres of land which was divided into sixty-four residential lots. Fifty of these lots come with a starter home that is outfitted with utilities: water, electricity, and well-designed streets. They are calling them transformer now. Fourteen of these lots are slated for future

Cabinet Brief

Belmopan, 2nd February 2023.

The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño, met in regular session on 31st January 2023.

• After learning of some of the challenges and concerns currently facing producers in the Dairy Sector, Cabinet requested that the Minister of Agriculture, Food Security & Enterprise along with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade & Immigration initiate a comprehensive assessment of the sector in Belize.

• Cabinet approved plans for the Ministry of Public Utilities, Energy, Logistics & E-Governance to execute the development of a roadmap and implementation plan for the launch of a National Identification Project. This project will include the establishment of a civil registry authority and will be implemented over the next three years.

• Additionally, Cabinet gave its approval for the ministry to lay before the Senate articles of accession to the Convention on Facilitation of International Traffic. This will enhance Belize’s maritime operations, geared at enhancing trade, facilitating shipping and the carriage of passengers through the digitalization of the processes at the ports in Belize.

• Cabinet gave its endorsement of two initiatives to enhance dialogue and coordination among the countries of the Mesoamerican region. The Regional Action Plan for Public and Private Actors for the Implementation of Short Sea Shipping in Mesoamerica and the Mesoamerica Agenda for Transportation, Mobility and Logistics will assist in building consensus, cooperation, coordination and attract resources to strengthen the Mesoamerican integration and development processes. The Mesoamerica Project is comprised of Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama.

• Cabinet gave its approval for the introduction of the Legal Aid Bill 2023 to put in place a proper legal structure to provide legal aid services to indigent citizens and to ensure that they are provided with adequate legal services. This bill will be introduced at this Friday’s sitting of the House of Representatives. In this connection, Cabinet also approved amendments to the Senior Courts Act to repeal Section 225 for legal aid to be managed through the Legal Aid Commission and not the Office of the Registrar.

• Cabinet also gave its approval for the repeal and replacement of the Extraditions Act, Chapter 112 of the Substantive Laws of Belize to allow for a more effective and efficient extradition regime.

• Cabinet welcomed the announcement by the Attorney General that the Vital Statistics Unit will shortly commence mobile clinics in southern Belize to effect birth registration in rural communities in the south of Belize.

• Cabinet endorsed the establishment of a Women Parliamentarians Caucus as a joint standing committee of the National Assembly. This will allow for a formal space to address issues of gender equality, greater participation in the legislative process, and the sensitizing of the National Assembly’s work through a gender lens.

• Cabinet approved the presentation of a loan motion at the next sitting of the House of Representatives for US$10 million to promote the digitization of firms and government agencies, to promote growth and increase efficiency in Belize’s economy and reduce costs for citizens through the digitization of civil registration services. This loan is being facilitated through the Inter-American Development Bank on favourable terms.

• Cabinet gave its approval for the introduction of amendments to the Money Laundering and Terrorism Prevention Bill to satisfy the requirements of the Financial Task Force with respect to laws regarding national anti-money laundering, combatting the financing of terrorism and combatting proliferation financing.

• Finally, Cabinet congratulates the 50 Belizeans and their families on the acquisition of their new homes located at Blackberry Ridge Estates, a new residential community in Burrell Boom Village.

development and 2.5 acres will remain as green space. In this first phase, the Ministry is handing over the keys to fifty starter homes to as many Belizeans families. Thirty-eight of these homes were given to families severely affected by Hurricane Lisa in November of 2022. Each resident received a lot measuring a quarter acre or 107” by 105”. The houses were chosen via a small raffle and the keyholder with house #25 received a grand prize of a fully furnished home courtesy of Design Depot. Congratulations to all…government, contractors, supporters and homeowners.

Homeowners: Albert Jones | Alyssa Cruz | Atalee Rhaburn | Camisha

Petillo | Darlin Chiguela | Denise

Flores | Dijon Smith | Evan Longsworth | Gina McFoy | Gladys Humphreys | Jacinto Hernandez | Jody

Adolphus | Joyce Staine | Juan Burgos | Juliet Castillo | Justin Moody | Kalynn Panting | Kim Taylor | Kimberly Michael | Kisha Flowers | Kitdalia

Casasola | Leniesha Steel | Leslie

Sanchez | Letica Guerra | Letticia

Cardenas | Lionel Smith | Lisa Jones

| Luisa Chacon | Magalie Francis | Marleni Montoya(#25) | Marva Anthony | Melissa Lizama | Michelle Reyes | Nailah Foster | Nikita Sutherland | Rashida Yarde | Richard Flowers | Robert Escobar | Romel Perez

| Shakira Lamb | Sheena Harriage | Siovadis Nixon | Soshana Dominquez

| Stacey Gordon | Stephanie Budna

| Suette Usher | Tiffara Hamilton | Timothy Lanza | Vanessa Gibson | Whitney Frazer |

Hon Marconi Leal, Area Representative, “It is a pleasure to be here at the Blackberry Ridge Estates in this well-planned and modern development.”

He went on to state, “A grand opening is always a cause for celebration. This development has been a long time coming. It has taken plenty of time and hard work to reach this point. The project began with an idea and grew into a vision “PlanBelize”. He also thanked the MIDH team for their hard work and dedication to making this project a success. Area Representative, Hon. Leal also extended a warm welcome to the new residents of Blackberry Ridge Estate and congratulated them.

Rodla Construction Co. Ltd. a Belizean-owned company operating out of the Ladyville community preconstructed the material took them and erected the houses as they now stand on the estate.

Hon. Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Housing, “I was very nervous last night, as I have given many speeches in the House and elsewhere but because this is a dream come true to a certain extent. I can recall being in opposition, I use to sit with him(PM) and explain to him how important housing for the unprivileged would be for our government, which ended up putting in our manifesto.”

He went on to quote a few lines from the United Nations, “The right to adequate housing is a human right, recognized in international human rights law as part of the right to an adequate standard of living. That is Article 25 (1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It goes on to state that housing is an essential human right much like access to food and access to water. That is how it’s important it is for housing to basic human life.” He added, “As part of planBelize, one of the main socio-economic objectives continues to be poverty reduction by promoting opportunities among the underprivileged who lack access to markets, financing, and assets. These homes are climate resilient meaning it’s built, from better materials and can withstand the elements. In March 2021, the MIDH launched the

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