Nat’l Security to crack down on employers of illegal immigrants

The Ministry of National Security and Immigration will be cracking down on employers who assist illegal immigrants. Yesterday Cabinet endorsed an amendment to the Immigration Act penalizing those who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. The ministry says taxpayers are burdened with the cost of detaining, feeding and deporting these people. Among the other decisions made at the meeting is a comprehensive review of the Corozal Commercial Free Zone to examine the continuous outflow of hard currency. Cabinet says the intention of the Zone is to expand jobs, exports and investment opportunities rather than deplete them. Amendments will be made to achieve the original objectives of the 1994 Commercial Free Zone Act. Cabinet has also approved the establishment of a Centralized Vehicle Care Unit responsible for the maintenance and management of government vehicles. Under the Ministry of Natural Resources a special team will be employed to update the index books on parcels of land and perform site checks of properties to produce index maps. Areas to be reviewed include Caribbean Shores, St. Martin De Porres, Port Loyola, Ladyville, Hattieville, Burrell Boom and mile eight and a half on the Western Highway. Because of the drainage problem that still exists in Belize City Cabinet has asked the Ministries of Economic Development and Works to explore remedial options with the original lender for the infrastructure project. The Ministry of Works will continue to assist the Belize City Council to improve the maintenance of the drains. In the Ministry of Education and Sports, following the controversy surrounding government spending on the 1998 CARICOM Games, a formal audit report was carried out. The report outlines some eight hundred and seventy nine thousand, three hundred and sixty dollars in expenditures relating to these games, including two hundred and fifty nine thousand dollars for a basketball court and ninety four thousand, three hundred and sixty dollars for a banquet and hotel rooms. The Ministry of Sports has been asked to make a full public disclosure of the audited financial report.