Cabinet Updates the Nation

On Tuesday, Cabinet discussed a mid-term report from the Economic Recovery Advisory Team Cabinet during its regular session. The government created the team to make recommendations to engineer sustainable economic activity and protect and create jobs to emerge from the current economic crisis successfully. A press release from the Government says that nine ministerial working groups were established to review the recommendations and advice how best to implement them.  Also in Cabinet, it was approved the re-establishment of the National Trade Negotiating Commission. The committee will be comprised of representatives from the private sector, civil society, and Government.  The N.T.N.C. will be a forum for dialogue among the public and private sectors. It will provide advice and make recommendations to G.O.B. on various matters, including trade policy issues, trade agreements, and information sharing.  Also coming out of Cabinet this week, the Ministry of Education received approval to review the Belize Education Sector Reform Project II, a loan project between the Government and the Caribbean Development Bank. G.O.B. says that in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, this project should be reviewed to ensure optimal benefit to Belizean students.   Cabinet also discussed the local dairy product. The dairy market contracted by fifty-three percent in January. The Government believes that it is important to set up a working committee, including local producers, to seek ways to create the environment necessary to foster the growth of a competitive dairy sector.