Lord Michael Ashcroft & the Belize COVID-19 Response Fund

Lord Michael Ashcroft

There are more details tonight on the ten million-dollar donation granted by Lord Michael Ashcroft to the government to assist in the combat against COVID-19. The donation has been deposited with the Belize Bank in the name of “The Belize COVID-19 Response Fund” and is designated for the health and economic sectors.  The Ministry of Health has benefitted from a portion of the donation to be used for the procurement of protective equipment, essential medical items, medical equipment, accommodations and financial support for frontline health workers. The money will also be used by N.G.O.s and charitable organizations for the distribution of food and medical supplies to needy persons who lost their jobs.  One million dollars is being set aside for a sub-fund to support micro, small and medium sized enterprises.  A committee is administering the fund. It includes Lyndon Guiseppi, Executive Chairman of the Belize Bank, Doctor Yhahlia Metzgen, a non-executive director of the bank, Michael Coye of the bank and Lord Ashcroft. In a release from the Belize Bank, Lord Ashcroft calls on business leaders to contribute to the fund, recognizing that the novel coronavirus does not discriminate and it is essential that Belize’s health sector is ready for the battle ahead and that those who have lost their jobs are able to find food for themselves and their families in this difficult time. It is also imperative that the small businesses in Belize are supported during this unprecedented challenge so that the economy can bounce back once the country is on the way to recover.