An Update from Cabinet

In cabinet news…Cabinet welcomed the comprehensive Completion Report of the Emergency Works carried out from November 2020 to May 2021 from Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development and Housing.  The report includes infrastructure works conducted after the passing of hurricanes Eta and Iota and funds cabinet approved to urgently restore and repair countrywide damage to roadways and road infrastructure and to make repairs to the national road network and streets that were already in a state of disrepair due to years of neglect.  Cordel Hyde, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources, Petroleum and Mining, informed cabinet about the technical challenges faced by Belize for managing the growing volumes of waste, the challenges in waste collection services, particularly in relation to rural communities, and the lack of adequate recycling programs and insufficient management practices at disposal sites.   Cabinet gave its full support for the establishment of an inter-ministerial committee to find ways to develop a plan to address these important waste management issues.  Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations, reported on his visit to the northern border and his exchange with the Mexican press in relation to the May thirty-first 2021 phased reopening of land and sea border points to receive foreign tourists, namely, the Santa Elena Northern Border, Benque Viejo del Carmen Western Border, San Pedro and Punta Gorda borders for foreign tourists who wish to visit Belize for recreation and vacation purposes. Only tourists who are pre-booked at Gold Standard Certified accommodations for a period of no less than three days will be allowed entry into Belize.