M.I.D.H. Engineers to Design Rural Roads under Resilient Rural Belize
The Government of Belize’s Resilient Rural Belize program is a forty million dollar, six-year project, geared towards enhancing small and medium enterprises in the agro-productive sector. The program began in 2018 when G.O.B. signed loan and grant agreements with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Green Climate Fund. One component of the project looks at rehabilitation of agricultural feeder roads, drainage, and irrigation in rural communities. To that end, the Ministry of Economic Development signed a memorandum of agreement with the Ministry of Infrastructure Development for the design of three rural roads. We heard from Doctor Osmond Martinez, the C.E.O. in the Ministry of Environment on the signing, courtesy the Press Office of Belize.
Osmond Martinez
Dr. Osmond Martinez, C.E.O., Ministry of Environment
“The signing of the MOA is very important for the Ministry of Economic Development, in order to help to move the project on into implementation. The reason is because the project has a component of infrastructure development, which is the construction of roads. Those three roads are Valley of Peace, Trio, and San Carlos. So, it is very important to note that we do not have the experts in house, but MIDH do have the engineers. They have the know how. So, it is important for us to work along with one another. This is a example of inter-ministerial cooperation, where we will work with whoever had the strength, and we need it. By having the in house expertise, we will be able to save several hundred thousands of dollars that can be passed on to, we can pass on this funds to the beneficiaries, which are the populations living before the poverty line, and who are interested to work within the productive sector. In addition to that, it will help us to fast tract the project. Now, IFAD who is the implementing partner of this project has actually given us the no objection for the signing of the M.O.A. so that the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing can help us to move the project a little faster.”
