Government

The prices for regular gasoline and kerosene will register increased as follows: Regular Gasoline will increase by 48 cents from $8.61 to $9.09 per gallon; Kerosene will increase by 1 dollar from $4.73 to $5.73 per gallon. The prices for premium gasoline and diesel will remain unchanged at $9.49 and $8.11 per gallon, respectively.

A ceremony to commemorate the exportation of another consignment of live cattle to Mexico was held on December 9th, 2020 at Blue Creek Village in the Orange Walk District. A total of 629 heads of cattle are expected to be exported to Mexico.

The Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño and the new administration has committed to fast track the implementation of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) to which Belize acceded on December 12, 2016. Reducing the risks of corruption and mismanagement will require the involvement of strong anti-corruption bodies, better oversight bodies, a more open and transparent public procurement and enhanced anti-corruption compliance. The theme, which calls governments to “recover with integrity” highlights that only by implementing effective corruption mitigation measures, will a better recovery be possible.

Cabinet approved $930,000 for a special December COVID-19 Relief Fund to be equitably distributed among 31 constituencies to assist disadvantaged Belizeans. The Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Human Development, Families and Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, informed Cabinet that funds for the Food Assistance Program (FAP) were completely depleted prior to the general elections leaving the Program substantially out of funds for the remainder of the financial year. Additionally, Cabinet approved allocation of resources necessary to fund the FAP for December and agreed that the Minister of Finance along with the Minister of Human Development will examine the possibility of additional funding for continuation of the Program.

The groundbreaking ceremony followed a meeting convened with stakeholders to chart the way forward for the implementation of the emPOWERing Rural Electrification Project (emPOWER Project). The project is part of the Government of Belize’s strategic plan to fulfil its national sustainable strategy of 100% access to modern and affordable electricity coverage in the country. It aims to provide renewable energy solutions to assist Belize in achieving universal energy access through the installation of 400kW of solar photovoltaic and battery storage that will serve the villages of Indian Creek, Medina Bank, and Golden Stream in the Toledo District.

On December 7, 2020, the Minister of Health and Wellness, Hon. Michel Chebat received a grant for the “Project for strengthening Medical Imaging Systems in Belize” and other medical materials from the Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) to Belize, H.E. Remus Li-Kuo Chen.

In its commitment to improving the delivery of justice to the citizens of Belize, the Government of Belize has decided to join other countries in region to legislatively impose time limits on judges to hand down their decisions in court matters of the Supreme Court and the Court of Belize. This will be done along with improving the infrastructure under which judges operate and, where possible, increasing the size of the budget that funds the judiciary.

Ms. Mendez holds a Master’s of Science in International Trade Policy with Specialization in Trade in Services and Market Access of Goods and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of the West Indies. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Project Management at the University for International Cooperation. Ms. Mendez has substantial experience in national and regional project development with a special interest in education and private sector driven investment.