Cabinet Brief

Belmopan. April 3, 2025.

The Cabinet met on 1^st April 2025.

• Cabinet endorsed the Belize Health Sector Strategic Plan 2025-2034, indicating its support for the plan, which is a comprehensive and transformative roadmap for addressing key health system challenges. This plan will also guide resource allocation, institutional coordination, and performance tracking and establish the monitoring and evaluation framework to ensure accountability and transparency.

• Cabinet gave its approval for a retention package of allowances for nurses employed in the public health system. This will be implemented in phases and should help to retain highly and technically skilled nurses.

• Cabinet gave its approval for the Minister of Public Utilities, Energy, and Logistics, the Minister responsible for water and sewerage, to sign a Statutory Instrument for amendments to the Water Industry (Tariffs) (Amendment) Byelaws to extend the current Full Tariff Period by changing the commencement date from 1^st April 2025 to 1^st April 2026 and to provide that the existing tariffs, fees, and charges remain in effect until 31^st March 2026.

• Cabinet considered the question of re-divisioning of electoral divisions. Cabinet confirmed its earlier decision that the proposals presented by the Elections and Boundaries Commission in 2023 were unworkable and did not satisfy the requirements of the Constitution.

• Cabinet requested the Minister responsible for elections and the Attorney General to liaise with the Elections and Boundaries Commission on any constitutional amendments needed to undertake a re-divisioning exercise.

• Cabinet agreed to facilitate the Commission to ensure that the re-divisioning exercise will be completed within one year.

• Cabinet approved proposed legislative amendments to the Belize Building Codes to reflect the natural conditions and building environment of Belize. These amendments would enhance Belize’s building infrastructure by mitigating vulnerabilities, fortifying the governance framework, and establishing a comprehensive set of quality building parameters encompassing public health, safety, and environmental protection.

• Cabinet approved the tabling of a legislative amendment to the Central Bank of Belize Act to include the Director General of the Financial Services Commission (FSC) as a member of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank of Belize.

• With a view to enhance land tax collection and enforcement, Cabinet gave its approval for the transfer of responsibility for Land Tax collection to the Belize Tax Service (BTS) through a phased one year transition process involving inter-agency coordination between the BTS, Lands Department, and other relevant authorities and the use of the online IRIS platform for assessment, billing, and collection thereof.

• Cabinet approved the Policy on the Preparation of a Fiscal Strategy Plan and a Disaster Risk Financing Policy and Implementation Plan as part of the

World Bank’s International Development Association’s (IDA) Sustainable Development Policy.

Finally, Cabinet reminds all Belizeans to drive carefully and buckle up for safety.

Ends