The first sitting of the House of Representatives for 2014 is scheduled to be held at 10:00 a.m. this Wednesday, January 22, 2014, at the National Assembly in Belmopan.
Amandala understands that one of the main items on the agenda for that Special Sitting of the House is the Insurance (Amendment) Bill, which was introduced in Parliament last month.
The bill is in line with Belize’s commitments to the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), which, according to CFATF, has called on Belize “to consider implementing counter measures to protect [its] financial systems from the ongoing money laundering and terrorist financing risks emanating from Belize.”
At the December sitting of Parliament, members of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) staged a vocal protest calling on the Government to immediately introduce the Occupational Health and Safety (OSH) Bill. Indications are that the drafting of that bill may not be complete in time for Wednesday’s meeting.
The House may also consider a bill to facilitate the Stake Bank cruise tourism project. We understand that drafters are also working on the Stake Bank Cruise Docking Facility Development Bill, which proposes, among other things, 20-year exemptions from taxes and duties to facilitate the implementation of the Stake Bank cruise docking facility.
A motion for a two-year extension to the contract of Contractor-General Godwin Arzu may also return to the House for further consideration.