Photo: Sitting of the House of Representatives (June 15, 2023)

More bills to comply with the FATF were passed, and the PM announced that the primary radar is to enter the country in two weeks amid criticisms of narco activity spike in the north.

by Marco Lopez

BELMOPAN, Sat. June 16, 2023

Following an animated debate sparked by the Leader of the Opposition’s query on the Portico Definitive Agreement during Friday’s sitting of the House of Representatives, parliament proceeded with the work of the day. The first Supplementary Appropriation in this fiscal year of $69 million was passed in the House. Loans from the CABEI and the Taiwanese government were both amended and a new US$15 million-dollar loan from the IDB to subsidize STEM education across institutions in Belize was also read.

Supplementary Appropriation #1 of 2023

The PM announced that spending for urban developments, to capitalize the National Bank and rebuild the school at St. Matthew’s Village, among a host of other projects and objectives, would be covered in this first appropriation. A total of BZD$69 million will be spent across the ministries, and funds for social protection, like the 1-million-dollar donation to farmers for fertilizer, and repairs of key buildings like the Sarstoon Operating Base and the Charles B. Hyde building, will be covered by these funds. Within the Judiciary, three new judges are to be brought into the country. Besides this, more funding for the amnesty programs and to tackle Mexican cartel activity in the north has been allocated.

While the Leader of the Opposition agreed with some of the spending, he commented that the budget planning process is a “complete disaster,” noting that spending for various areas in this appropriation should have been anticipated in the annual budget read just three months ago. He, and Collet area representative, Hon. Patrick Faber, remarked that, for example, the plan to bring in new judges should have been anticipated, since an arduous process to procure those individuals would have to be undertaken well beforehand.

“The entire 69 million dollars that the Prime Minister is presenting to this House in supplementary appropriations is littered with examples of spending that could have been anticipated,” Barrow said.

This bill was read a third time and goes to the Senate for final approval.

More CFATF legislation

Another string of laws to bring Belize within compliance with the regulations mandated by the international financial community was passed during Friday’s sitting. The mutual evaluation of Belize by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) is closely approaching, and the country has been in a sprint to update all the laws as recommended by the CFATF. On Friday, seven more pieces of legislation were passed. Of these, the Civil Asset Recovery and Unexplained Wealth Bill 2023 is by far the most crucial. This bill establishes a Civil Recovery Authority with wide-reaching powers to recover proceeds from unlawful conduct. This bill applies to those who hold public office and meet treaty requirements under the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) – and also extends to those in the public with unexplained wealth.

The Leader of the Opposition, Barrow, signalled his support of the bill but raised a question about the statute of limitations associated with initiating an investigation. He suggested that after 12 years, investigations would not be able to be carried out, being statute-barred. But the member for Fort George, Hon. Henry Charles Usher corrected him and mentioned that a court application could be filed to allow for investigation as far back as 20 years into a particular individual.  

Education Minister, Hon. Francis Fonseca noted that the bill was drafted through widespread consultation with the unions and relevant bodies, who, he says, had been clamoring for almost 15 years for this legislation.

Along with this bill, the Domestic Banks and Financial Institutions Amendment Bill was passed, bringing domestic and international banks in Belize under one law. The Belize Companies Act and Financial Intelligence Unit Act were also amended. The name of the International Limited Liability Act was changed to just the Limited Liabilities Act, and the restriction of persons resident in Belize from starting such a company was removed. The International Insurance and Insurance Act was repealed and replaced with new provisions, and the Misuse of Drugs Act was also amended to include “proportionate and dissuasive penalties.”

All these bills were read a third time and go to the Senate on Monday.

Primary Radar in two weeks?

At adjournment, Opposition Leader Barrow sneered at the fact that a primary radar was allegedly offered to Belize by the US and Canadians, which was refused by our officials. He mentioned this in the context of the reported growing narco activity in the north of Belize, which the Prime Minister had highlighted when justifying a $ 1 million injection of funds to address threats to citizen security. Barrow reminded the PUP of their remarks made accusing UDP officials “at the highest level” of being in collusion with the drag cartels to land planes in Belize.

He questioned, “So who is landing the drug planes now?”

“The fact that this government would decline a free radar to say that they would get one from COCESNA, who has been promising a radar since Dean Barrow was Prime Minister,” Barrow said.

The PM in his response said, “Something that I have said from day one, that my biggest nightmare is that if the cartels were to come into Belize; I’ve said to the United States government, I say to any government that I meet, and that we need the resources to be able to fight them back.”

He said the cartels are coming across, “and shooting on people,” but added that “these people should have never been involved in this illegal activity.”

Initially the PM announced that a new primary radar would be installed in the country in October of this year. But shortly after [he] stood to state that the gear is expected to enter the country within the next two weeks.