Briceño: no decision yet on Ara Macao project

Accusations of playing footsie were not confined to the Venezuela loan as Minister of Natural Resources Johnny Briceño was questioned regarding his government’s policy toward the controversial Ara Macao resort project near Placencia. According to Briceño, the jury is still out.

Johnny Briceño, Minister of Natural Resources/Environment
?The NEAC is currently awaiting Ara Macao?s submission for the additional information requested. Therefore Madam Speaker, the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment is not in a position at this time to approve the E.I.A. or grant environmental clearance to the Ara Macao group. Madam Speaker, our ministry is well aware of the attention that this project has received. We are happy to note the interest of the Belizean people have in this development. It is a large development and we must ensure that every effort is made to address the concerns of everyone involved. In the case of the Placencia peninsula, we?re talking about a fragile ecosystem and as such, we must not only be careful but also vigilant in ensuring that any form of development that occurs in the peninsula take fully into consideration the vulnerability of the area. We must be entirely clear in how any project in the area will impact the water source, the topography of the land, access to public areas, such as the beach, waste management and protection of marine life. Any development in Belize must be sensitive not only to the impact to the geography and natural environment of the area but also on how it will affect the lives of the people who live and survive in the surrounding communities.?

Minister Briceño has also committed to personally visit the villages that would be affected by the Ara Macao project to listen to the concerns of residents