BELMOPAN, Thurs. Dec. 3, 2020– The Cabinet met again on Tuesday, December 1, via a virtual meeting chaired by Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño. As stated, the first order of business after elections was for Cabinet members to conduct an analysis of the state of their respective Ministries so that a way forward could be properly planned out.
It appears that the said analyses are nearing completion, which has exposed a number of findings that have sparked concern within the Government, and has led to the following action points:
In response to the growing attention surrounding the fire-sale of multiple government assets, including vehicles, furniture, and electronic equipment to former ministers of government, the Cabinet has decided to launch a “full-investigation” into the matter, and inquiries will be made to representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the Attorney General’s Ministry, and the Ministry of Public Service, as well as the Public Service Union and the private sector.
In regards to infrastructure, Cabinet has also decided to conduct a forensic audit of Belize Infrastructure Limited, including all projects it has administered.
Cabinet also approved an additional BZ$9 million of funding to perform emergency repairs and restoration to various roads, bridges and culverts that need attention after the damage caused by recent flooding; this is following an update from the Minister of Infrastructure Development and Housing, Hon. Julius Espat.
Another matter that was considered was the submission by Attorney General Magali Marin-Young of a proposal to amend the legislation to impose a time limit upon the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal for delivery of judgments. The proposal follows a discussion between the Attorney General, The Acting Chief Justice and the Belize Bar Association.
Cabinet decided that the decision would not come into effect immediately, but agreed to increase the Judiciary’s allocation in next year’s budget.
On the matter of inflated and corrupt contracts, Cabinet also discussed amendments to the Contractor General Act, including proposals to introduce an independent Public Contracts Commission to inspect the award of public contracts and to work along with the Contractor General to investigate suspicious public contracts.
As we have heard, there has been a thorough assessment of the Ministry of Health by Minister of Health and Wellness, Hon. Michel Chebat. During the meeting, Hon. Chebat updated his fellow members on the effects of the pandemic and the new measures being implemented.
The Minister also announced that a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between the MOHW and the Ministry of Agriculture for the use of the laboratory at the Belize Agricultural Health Authority. This will allow COVID-19 PCR testing to be conducted by BAHA in order to scale up the capacity for PCR testing in the country.
Finally, the Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management, Hon. Orlando Habet, provided an update on NEMO’s ongoing assistance efforts following the damage caused by excess rain associated with hurricanes Eta and Iota.
Over 2,800 Belizeans have received assistance in the form of food, household appliances, and other supplies to date. Cabinet has requested an updated map of flood-prone areas by NEMO with the deadline for its completion being before the start of the 2021 hurricane season.