Works wants to get Belize moving

Errol Gentle

The Ministry of Works, in partnership with the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, held a national workshop on Integrated & Sustainable Logistics and Mobility Policy today in Belmopan. This is simply to look at the sustainable movement of freight and passengers for sustainable development. For this purpose, high level policy-makers, and representatives from various ministries, unions and other private partners got together to  find ways to help Belize organize and structure a national dialogue on the transportation of cargo and people. A work plan and establishment of specialized working groups will be developed to create and implement the policy. Here’s how that went today.

Errol Gentle, C.E.O., Ministry of Works

“The main deficiencies of the existing policy in this respect are the lack of an integrated vision when designing infrastructure transport, logistics and mobility policies; the absence of sustainable criteria especially but not limited to environmental sustainability; and a lack of mechanism to reach political and social consensus around the proposed policy. Over the next two days, we will be discussing an array of topics from concepts, methodologies, national policies to strategies, planning, regulations and institutional frameworks as it relates to an integrated and sustainable logistics and mobility policy.”

Rene Montero, Minister of Works

Rene Montero

“Our Government is cognizant of the fact that the current logistics system still has significant shortcomings regarding its efficiency; safety and sustainability which is why this national workshop is an important step in achieving some of the Government’s sustainable development goals. In this context, this workshop is held for the purpose of developing the necessary multi-sectoral linkages between the logistics and the mobility sector and other public policies and to encourage healthy discussions aimed at finding solutions for the current policy gaps and to learn from the experiences that our colleagues from the ECLAC have had in the region.”