_{Photo: Location of land acquired for University Hospital}

A protest letter was sent to the Office of the Auditor General and the Office of the Contractor General regarding the acquisition of a piece of land priced at $6.9 million that is to be the location of a university hospital in Belmopan; but the letter has, so far, elicited no response.

by Marco Lopez

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Sept. 2, 2024

An online petition triggered by the government’s acquisition of lands earmarked for the construction of the first university hospital in Belize was launched by Mario Lara, a concerned Belizean living in the US, on Sunday, September 1. To date, over 91 persons have signed the petition calling for an audit of the purchase of the land at a price of $6.9 million by the Government of Belize.

The petition followed a letter sent by Lara and other concerned Belizeans to the Government of Belize citing key provisions within the Finance and Audit Reform Act (FARA). The letter calls out two key officials of the administration – the Contractor General and the Auditor General – both of whom hold significant responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability in government transactions.   

The letter first reminds them of their legal obligations to conduct themselves in a manner befitting of the office, before pointing to the impact that the lack of transparency surrounding the land acquisition has had on the public view. 

Despite a press release and press conference held by the government last week to quell concerns, these Belizeans still have a laundry list of reasonable questions now being posed to the Contractor General and the Auditor General.

Clarification is being sought as to whether the acquisition of the land was subject to open tendering, and if, as mandated by the FARA, the land purchase contract was first submitted to the Contractor General for review and comments before being executed.

Another area of contention concerns the decision to move away from the loan agreement terms presented to the National Assembly, which provided for the construction of the teaching hospital on lands to be acquired from the University of Belize.

These lands were deemed unfit by the technocrats within the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Ministry of Economic Development, according to the government. This pushed the administration to acquire this alternate piece of property.

The petitioner opines that “Acquiring alternate land, when ample space is available on the UB campus, contradicts the purpose of the loan approved by the House, potentially violating the stated terms.”

As for the so-called “technical committee” which handed down the recommendation to move the hospital site, the letter states concern over “its inadequate composition.”

The lack of transparency as it relates to reports requested by various public officials, civil society organizations, and unions, and the failure to hold public consultations from the onset of the decision were also highlighted.

The letter states, “The absence of public consultation and the failure to engage with affected communities only exacerbate concerns, as these are critical steps to ensure that such a project truly serves the best interests of all stakeholders involved, and raises serious questions about the integrity of this decision.”

At this time, the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) is seeking to use the Freedom of Information Act laws to secure the requested information.

The letter questions “if the committee was deliberately assembled without the necessary expertise, and was there any political pressure behind it.”

The authors of the letter describe the land which was purchased as unfit, and the decision to greenlight the purchase at the specific location as “a slap in the face of Belizeans”.

The letter calls on the Auditor General to audit the accounts of all persons responsible for the collection, receipt, and expenditure of public funds.

It states, “The Act explicitly states that any fraud, serious loss, or irregularity must be reported to the Minister and brought to the notice of the National Assembly.”

The correspondence states that lack of transparency and a possible lack of alignment with constitutional and legal standards warrant the immediate attention of the office.

The Contractor General is similarly called to assess whether the contract is in the best interest of the Government of Belize. “Should you find this contract lacking in these regards, it is your responsibility to report your finding to each House of the National Assembly for debate,” the letter states.

It ends by urging both officers to uphold the Constitution and the laws of Belize by carrying out a thorough investigation.

Mario Lara, in a conversation today with Amandala, said that they have received no response so far from either office concerning the letter.

He said, “This is a major investment that will have a long-term impact on the future of the capital city of Belize and the national healthcare system. We must make sure that decision-making is transparent and in the best interest of a majority of Belizeans.”

The petition is active at the following link: https://www.change.org/p/audit-6-9-million-land-purchase-by-government-of-belize-for-tertiary-hospital.   

We will continue to follow.