Cabinet News: Price Gougers to be Ticketed, Amendment to Treaty of Chaguaramas to be Signed in Belize

In Cabinet news, this week the Prime Minister and his advisors approved the introduction of legislation to amend the Misuse of Drugs Bill, titled the Cannabis Control and Licensing Bill, 2022. It will address the control and licensing of the cannabis industry, and establish the legal framework for the cultivation, processing, distribution, and delivery of cannabis products for adult use only. Due to the rise in prices and to protect the general public as well as to prevent price gouging on goods, enforcement of the law will be carried out through a ticketing system. Cabinet looked at the need for a means for members of the public to report overpricing of controlled items for better monitoring. Cabinet gave its approval for the signature of amendments to Article 32 of the Treaty of Chaguaramas which defines a CARICOM national. The amendment will be signed at the Thirty-Third Intercessional Heads of Government Meeting to be held in Belize on March first and second.  Cabinet was updated on the status of COVID-19 vaccinations. As of February fourteenth, there are almost three hundred thousand vaccines in country. About fifty percent of the total population has received at least one dose. Forty-seven percent of the population has been fully vaccinated and thirty-five thousand boosters have been administered. Finally, Cabinet was updated on the performance of National Health Insurance services and its impact on communities across Belize. A further rollout of the N.H.I. Program, as outlined in Plan Belize, was also discussed.