Belmopan, 12th October 2021. 6:30 p.m.
The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño, met in regular session on 12th October 2021.
- Cabinet was updated on the status of vaccinations and the number of vaccines available in Belize. As of 12th October 2021, 201,952 persons or 46.9 percent of the total population had received at least one dose of the vaccine and 153,982 or 35.8 percent had been fully vaccinated. Of the youth population between the ages of 12 to 17 years of age, 26,862 or 46 percent had received at least one dose of the vaccine and 16,846 or 29 percent had been fully vaccinated. Currently, there are more than 250,000 vaccines in stock including Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson. An additional 53,000 Pfizer vaccines will be arriving shortly via the United States of America through the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) initiative.
- Cabinet gave its approval for the Ministry of Public Utilities, Energy and Logistics to conduct a review of the fees in the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Order of 2003 and to conduct a pre-feasibility analysis for the construction of bus terminals countrywide.
- Cabinet gave its approval for the Ministry of the Blue Economy and Civil Aviation to develop and promote the Belize Civil Aviation Regulation 17 relating to civil aviation security. This will allow for the regulation of all matters pertaining to aviation security in Belize and to work towards the implementation of recommendations to be followed by Belize to meet the standards of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Cabinet also gave its approval for the Blue Economy and Civil Aviation to establish a strategic plan for the Civil Aviation Sector in Belize for the period 2022 to 2026.
- Oscar Requena, Minister of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Labor & Local Government, received the approval of Cabinet to implement trade licensing reforms in all municipalities and villages. The reforms will modernize and standardize the trade licensing regime. Additionally, villages will for the first time be able to charge trade licensing fees. The amendments will now be forwarded to the Attorney General’s Ministry for legal drafting.
- Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations, reported to the Cabinet on his recent trip to United States of America to connect and engage with Belizeans. The diaspora engagements included four U.S. cities: Houston, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; Miami, Florida; and New York City. The delegation met with hundreds of Belizeans and discussed a range of issues including crime, banking, the COVID-19 pandemic, repatriation matters and other social issues.
- The Prime Minister was invited by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador of Mexico to participate in activities in celebration of the 200th Anniversary of Independence. The Prime Minister was also invited to be the guest of honor at the celebration of the 256th birthday of the national hero José María Morelos y Pavón. Along with his delegation, the Prime Minister held several meetings with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, COPARMEX (the Association of Chambers of Commerce of Mexico), the Bank of Mexico, FONATUR (The National Tourism Development Fund).
- During his visit, the Prime Minister also met with H.E. Ahmed Almenhali, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Belize, to discuss several cooperation issues between the two countries. A bilateral meeting was also held between the heads of state, the Foreign Minister Hon. Eamon Courtenay and ambassadors.
- E. Rossana Briceño, Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children, also met with María del Rocío García Pérez, Mexico’s director general of the National System for the Development of Families and Children.
- Finally, Cabinet continues to strongly urge the public to wear masks, maintain physical distance, wash hands regularly, and for those not fully vaccinated to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Vaccinations save lives.
Ends
