Rehabilitated Nago Bank Road Provides Increased Market Access for Farming Cooperative

Government Of Belize Second Road Safety Project

Consultancy Services For Traffic Law Enforcement Request For Expressions Of Interest

The Government of Belize (GOB) has received financing from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) towards the cost of a Second Road Safety Project and intends to apply a portion of the proceeds of this financing to eligible payments under a contract for which this invitation is issued. Payments by CDB will be made only at the request of GOB and upon approval by CDB, and will be subject in all respects to the terms and conditions of the Financing Agreement. The Financing Agreement prohibits withdrawal from the financing account for the purpose of any payment to persons or entities, or for any import of goods, if such payment or import, to the knowledge of CDB, is prohibited by a decision of the United Nations Security Council taken under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations. No party other than GOB shall derive any rights from the Financing Agreement or have any claim to the proceeds of the Financing.

The Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment (MFEDI), the Executing Agency, now wishes to procure consultancy services for Traffic Law Enforcement for the Second Road Safety Project.

The objective of the consultancy is to assist the Department of Transport in strengthening capacity, focusing on road safety training and training of trainers of Enforcement Officers with appropriate pedagogical resources to support effective delivery to other officers, including topics like gender/masculinity and anger management, and in the revision of driver’s licensing tests (written and practical). The consultancy will also include the assessment of the status of the Safe Driving Manual, online questionnaire and use of these; identification of 2 or 3 communities where the new manual and on-line test can be implemented; and development of a communication plan to promote the manual through social media and the municipality’s websites and a Monitoring and Evaluation framework to record feedback from the new users and their progress as new drivers. The duration of the assignment is expected to be over a period of twelve (12) months.

February 17, 2023 - Today, the Resilient Rural Belize (RRB) Programme and the Ministry of Economic Development held an official ceremony to open Nago Bank Road in the Belize District. Present were Mr. Marconi Leal, Jr., on behalf of the Area Representative for Belize Rural North; Dr. Osmond Martinez, Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Economic Development; Mr. Servulo Baeza, Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Enterprise; Mr. Victor Espat, Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing; Mr. Valentino Shal, Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Labour and Local Government; and Mr. Ruben Alexander Pineda, Chairman for the Los Pequeños Agricultores y Ganaderos de Nago Bank Co-operative Society Limited.

The Nago Bank community is identified as one of the most productive farming communities in the Belize District; however, they were severely limited in their ability to efficiently move their products from their farms to the markets. Originally, access was limited to tractor trails leading into the community that was best usable only during the dry season. During the rainy season, on the other hand, produce was brought out either by tractor, horse-drawn carriages, or four-wheel drive vehicles that were available within the community. Additionally, the movement of children to the schools and medical personnel coming into the community was severely limited.

As such, the RRB adopted the primary farming cooperative from the community, Los Pequeños Agricultores y Ganaderos de Nago Bank, as a key stakeholder to provide input towards establishing a roadway alignment and design development. This cooperative currently has over 15,000 tomato plants under cultivation and an equal number of sweet peppers, watermelons, and other such vegetables. It also has a contractual arrangement to deliver plantains to plantain chip facilities.

Given the amount of produce harvested in the community and the need for easy access to markets, a contract valuing BZ$1,734,102.34 for the upgrade of the Nago Bank Road was signed on May 9, 2022, between the Government of Belize and Teichroeb & Sons Limited. The upgrade was officially completed on January 11, 2023.

In his remarks, CEO Martinez emphasized that the roadway was primarily designed to provide year-round access for the farmers in Nago Bank to support climate-resilient productivity and improved market access through rehabilitation and provision of new roads and drainage. He further shared his delight for the community, who can now utilize the new road to generate an income for their families and for easier accessibility to educational and healthcare services.

The Resilient Rural Belize and the Ministry of Economic Development extend their gratitude to the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing, CEO Espat, and Mr. Lennox Bradley, Chief Engineer for the project, for their contribution to the upgrade of the Nago Bank Road, inclusive of the production design and supervision of the construction process and maintenance of the road.

MFEDI now invites interested eligible consulting firms to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) indicating qualification and experience required to provide these consultancy services. Consultants shall be eligible to participate if:

(a) in the case of a body corporate, it is legally incorporated or otherwise organized in an eligible country, has its principal place of business in an eligible country and is more than 50 per cent beneficially owned by citizen(s) and/or bona fide resident(s) of eligible country(ies) or by a body(ies) corporate meeting these requirements;

(b) in the case of unincorporated firms, the persons are citizens or bona fide residents of an eligible country; and

(c) in all cases, the consultant has no arrangement and undertakes not to make any arrangements, whereby any substantial part of the net profits or other tangible benefits of the contract will accrue or be paid to a person not a citizen or bona fide resident of an eligible country.

Eligible countries are member countries of CDB. The Member Countries of the CDB can be found at the following web address: http://www.caribank.org/about-cdb/member-countries

The attention of interested Consultants is drawn to paragraph 1.9 of CDB’s Guidelines for the Selection and Engagement of Consultants (2011), setting forth CDB’s policy on conflict of interest.

In the assessment of submissions, consideration will be given to technical competence, qualifications and experience, local and regional experience on similar assignments, financial capability and existing commitments. Key Experts will not be evaluated at the shortlisting stage. All information must be submitted in English. Further information may be obtained from the first address below between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 pm (local time) Monday to Friday.

The Expression of Interest must be received electronically at the first email addresses (Second Road Safety Project) and second email address (CDB) below no later than 3:00 p.m. (local time) on Friday, March 17, 2023. The subject line of the email containing each submission shall be clearly marked “Expression of Interest – Consultancy Services for Traffic Law Enforcement for the Belize Second Road Safety Project under the Ministry of Economic Development)”

Following the assessment of submissions, a short-list of not less than three (3) and not more than six (6) applicants will be provided with full terms of reference and invited to submit technical and financial proposals to undertake the assignment. GOB reserves the right to accept or reject late applications or to cancel the present invitation partially or in its entirety. It will not be bound to assign any reason for not shortlisting any applicant and will not defray any costs incurred by any applicant in the preparation and submission of Expressions of Interest.

1. Project Manager Second Road Safety Project #1904 Constitution Drive, Second Floor Belmopan City

Cayo District

BELIZE, C.A.

Tel: +501-822-3517

Email: procurementofficer.rsp@med.gov.bz projectmanager.rsp@med.gov.bz

2. Procurement Officer Procurement Policy Unit Caribbean Development Bank BARBADOS, W. I.

Tel: (+1 246) 539 1600

Email: procurement@caribank.org

N O T I C E

(Water Industry Act CAP 222 of the Substantive Laws of Belize (Revised Edition 2020))

1st March 2023

TO: BBR Holding Inc Mackinnon Belize Land & Development Limited

15 A Street 99 Albert Street

Belize City Belize City

Belize Belize

Re: All those pieces or parcels of land being Block A comprising 381.014 acres, Block B comprising 134.336 acres, Block C comprising 58.249 acres and Block D comprising 42.906 acres (“the Property”)

TAKE NOTICE that within fourteen (14) calendar days of receipt of this notice, Belize Water Services Limited (“BWSL”) and/or its employees, agents or contractors, shall pursuant to the powers conferred on BWSL at section 43 of the Water Industry Act, Chapter 222 (“the Act”) of the Substantive Laws of Belize (Revised Edition 2020) and all other enabling powers contained therein or otherwise enter upon the property for the purpose of securing and ensuring the supply, storage, purification, conveyance, support, measurement or regulation of water to the communities of the Placencia Peninsula through the use and extraction of water from two existing wells on the Property (“the Works”).

The Property shall be used for an approximate period of 12 months in the first instance but this period may be extended if necessary to further secure the supply, storage, purification, conveyance, support, measurement or regulation of water to the communities of the Placencia Peninsula

Please note ,as per section 43 of the Act, BWSL shall not be deemed to acquire any right other than that of user only in or over the Property over or upon which the Works shall be conducted and should any of the works so carried on, over or upon the Property, become a nuisance or cause of loss to the owner of the Property, BWSL shall, at his own expense, remove or alter such work or shall give such reasonable compensation.

EXECUTIVE OFFICER Belize Water Services Limited