Belmopan, October 28, 2024.
Hon. Christopher Coye, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment, engaged in several meetings with representatives from the Inter-American Development Bank this week in Washington, D.C. Most notably, Minister Coye signed the 2025 Country Programme alongside Ms. Anabel Gonzalez, IDB Vice President for Countries.
The 2025 sovereign guarantee operations will include support for three technical cooperations and two investment programs, including support for enabling and empowering female participation in the labour force. Belize is also benefiting from technical assistance under the ‘ONE Caribbean’ program for a project preparation facility that ensures projects meet market standards and attract investor support.
The IDB also unveiled a new regional program called ‘América en el Centro’ that will promote productivity and regional integration, climate adaptation and resilience, and social development for youth. The governments of Central America, Panama, and the Dominican Republic collaborated on crafting this platform to highlight a common development agenda for climate resilience and sustainable growth.
Under this program, Belize will benefit from support particularly related to energy and logistics, enabling Belize to serve as a more efficient and costeffective alternative logistics corridor to facilitate trade between Central America including Belize, southern Mexico, and the Caribbean. Three technical cooperations will be prepared under the ‘América en el Centro’ initiative:
- Support for the preparation of the feasibility study for road interconnection between Belize and Guatemala.
- Support for the preparation of the Central American Sustainable Agrolandscapes Program.
- Enhancement of the Transition Towards Sustainable Agriculture in Central America.
Minister Coye also took the opportunity to meet with certain Ministry of Finance counterparts in Central America to advocate for Belize’s membership in the Council of Ministers of Finance of Central America,
Panama, and the Dominican Republic (COSEFIN), in the interest of progressing integration with Central America.
At the signing, Minister Coye pledged Belize’s full support of the ‘América en el Centro’ program. He further stated that “Belize believes in the power of inclusive regional integration. By aligning our efforts, we are not just addressing local challenges, but actively creating opportunities for regional transformation.”
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