Question(s) Week of the

January 26, 2023

Who are the principals behind the Cayman company, Countach Technologies Ltd, involved in the Boledo contract? Is Anwar Barrow a shareholder in the Brads Gaming Group Ltd?

NORTHERN MEDICAL Sp ECIALT y p LAZA

ORCHID DRIVE, B.S.I. AREA, ORANGE WALK TOWN, BELIZE PHONE: 302-3708

Northern Medical Plaza is accepting applications from experienced, dynamic, energetic, self-motivated and professional individuals for the following vacancy.

Qualification

General Surgeon

General Practitioner with specialty in General Surgery.

Requirements

General Surgeon must be registered with the Belize Medical Council.

Applications close: January 25th , 2023. Please submit application letter and three

References to: northernmedical@live.com

Human Resource Manager

Northern Medical Specialty Plaza Ltd. Orchid Drive, BSI Area, Orange Walk Town

MINISTRY OF FINANCE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENTAND INVESTMENT

Gaming Controlboard Notice

Belmopan, January 12, 2023.

Belmopan, January 12, 2023.

The Gaming Control Board (GCB) of Belize informs gaming machine (Gaming Establishments) license holders that received approval for the period of April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023, to submit their renewal applications fortheperiod ofApril 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024.

Licensees wishing to renew their licenses are asked to submit their original application forms to the Ministry of Investment, located at No.46 Nanche Street in Belmopan onor before Monday, February13 ,2023.Application forms areavailable at the Ministry.

The Gaming Control Board (GCB) of Belize informs gaming machine (Gaming Establishments) license holders that received approval for the period of April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023, to submit their renewal applications for the period of April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024.

We can be contacted via:

Telephone: (501) 828-6704

Email: belizeinvestment@invest.gov.bz

Facebook: Investment, Policy& ComplianceUnit

Licensees wishing to renew their licenses are asked to submit their original application forms to the Ministry of Investment, located at No.46 Nanche Street in Belmopan on or before Monday, February 13, 2023. Application forms are available at the Ministry.

We can be contacted via:

Telephone: (501) 828-6704

Email: belizeinvestment@invest.gov.bz

Facebook: Investment, Policy & Compliance Unit

Prime Minister John Briceño

Minister of Finance, Economic Development, and Investment

The Keynote Address

Good morning and thank you for joining us at what I believe is a very special event. I am happy to see present here today a majority of our Ministers and their CEOs. I join with our Master of Ceremonies to acknowledge the presence of a number of our ambassadors and othe r members of the diplomatic corps, our partners in development from international agencies, members of civil and religious society and, yes, Bel izeans who are here and who have joined us virtually. We are glad you came.

Now, I know we live in a culture where there is always a sense of skepticism where politicians and their promises are concerned, today however, we are here because we are delivering on our promise to build Belize. We are here to celebrate a vision that has come to life. The foundation upon which #planBelize was built is people centered and people driven. Why? Because it was birthed through a long process of grassroots consultations nationwide, and it sets out a path to fulfilling the Belizean dream. After listening to the people, we were determined that every Belizean desired to live in a nation and deserved a government that could deliver on 5 basic needs. Through this process we knew Belizeans wanted to live in a nation where our children and young people could have access to relevant education, have access to adequate healthcare, be able to hav e a good job, where most if not all of us would have access to a piece of land so we can put a proper roof over our heads.

So, our first and most important task was to develop a plan with these rights at its core. We knew that if we could do these things, then we would build a Belize that works for everyone. We also knew that in fulfilling these goals we would move Belize toward a more democratic, inclusive, sustainable, and resilient society in which all Belizeans would benefit. After all, we were bold enough to proclaim “todos Ganamos.”

That plan is now a reality, and its aims and objectives are now laid out for all in the Medium-Term Development Strategy. Now for context, I am obliged to tell you how this process started. In November 2020, when my administration began its work, we inherited an economy withering from a prolonged recession, battered by COVID-19 lockdowns, strangled by rocketing debt and deficits, squeezed by costly credit, and r acked by scandals that were being played out on television daily. Corruption and incompetence, malaise, and a lack of vision resulted in a society where in all aspects of governance, confidence was lost. Our administration inherited from our predecessors: surging unemployment, out of control crime, overall uncertainty and there was no realistic plan to turn things around. Simply put, the Barrow Administration had given up.

As such we had to immediately change this backdrop because we know that without some bold, positive and decisive initiatives, B elizeans would not and could not see a future free from economic and social afflictions. The plan we are rolling out this morning lays out our initiatives and sets a path that every Belizean can see. It lays out a path that shows... that yes, a government can listen... yes, the government can restore confidence in the system, and yes government can deliver to all layers of society, especially those most vulnerable. Already we have shown you we can deliver.

When we saw that children could not access education we listened and introduced the Free Education Pilot Project to get our you th and children back in schools -- free!

When COVID revealed the weaknesses in our healthcare system, we listened to the experts and responded by rolling out the Nation al Health Insurance to other parts of our nation with a plan to have every Belizean covered by NHI by the end of our first term in office. In the new fiscal year, we will roll out NHI in the OW District, that means that over two hundred and sixty-nine thousand Belizeans will be registered in this life changing program.

When our labor force downsized and we stood at a stark 30 percent unemployment rate, we encouraged business investments; we res tored confidence by embarking on meaningful reforms and we aggressively embarked on enhancing MSMEs and creating an environment in which they can thrive.

The result of this aggressive plan is an unprecedented 5percent unemployment rate, a figure never before recorded in the histor y of Belize... and we have only just begun.

When land inequality was rampant and our people clamored for equity and access, we listened and held Mobile Land Clinics all ov er the country. Our land clinics give everyone convenience and opportunity, and yes, more initiatives are on the way.

When heartbreaking stories unfolded, one after another, of people with no adequate shelter, we listened and initiated the Affordable Housing Program. Already hundreds of houses have been built for those most in need, and hundreds more repaired. I believe we are one of the only developing countries in the world to engage in such a program amid a global pandemic. And this is but a glimpse at all we have and continue to do to improve citizen security and achieve our core goals.

The Medium Term Development Strategy lays out 226 projects and programs. It boldly sets before you our plans to improve and increase the quality of life for all Belizeans. It sets out government’s priorities and explains how we continue to realize our initiatives. Let me assure you: every single ministry, through the efforts of our public officers along with the help of our partners, has made the MTDS, and the vision it encapsulates, the driving force behind their actions. Also, our remarkable results in a short span of time should inspire in everyone the confidence that the outcomes and targets detailed in the MTDS are not arbitrary objectives, but rational, genuine, and achievable targets. Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen the one constant in life we must all accept is change. As the world changes around us, Belize, a small nation, will always be exposed and affected by internal and external shocks. Our priorities then must reflect our flexibility; however, we must remain laser-focused and we must adapt to ensure that we are able to do what must be done to build Belize. Nation-building is at the center of our plan and what is laid out in this document is our realistic, proactive plans and commitments to build a progressive nation that fulfills those noble principles set forth in the preamble to our Constitution.

Thank you to the team who devoted their time and effort to ensuring that we achieve this document and its completion. To all those development agencies, ambassadors, IFI’s and other stakeholders, who continue to play an active role and show an enduring interest in Belize – thank you. We are confident that your presence here today signifies even greater cooperation and partnership. Consequently, we have laid out our plan for the Belizean people who I am sure will use this as a kind of report card by which to judge our performance.

To you, we offer not just our thanks, but more so our commitment to #PlanBelize, which sets us all on a path to meaningful human and economic development and toward the transformation of our beloved Belize. Thank you.

Inauguration of new Laboratory Spaces for Histopathology and Toxicology at the National Forensic Science Service

The European Union together with the Ministry of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries today officially inaugurated the new Laboratory Spaces for Histopathology and Toxicology at the Belize National Forensic Science Service (NFSS) and handed over state of the art scientific and medical equipment that will greatly enhance the NFSS capacity moving forward.

This donation is the last in a series of donations of equipment to the NFSS by the European Union (EU) and included a set of histopathology equipment and a liquid chromatograph with tandem mass spectrometry detector for toxicology analysis by the EU through its regional programme “AC1/I-CRIME Project for Cooperation on Criminal Investigation in Central America to Combat Transnational Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking”. This regional initiative