Ministry of Culture reorganized
There are big changes ahead for several government departments which had formed the Ministry of Culture. The Department of Museums, the Department of Archaeology, the Belize Archives Department, the National Arts Council and the Belize Library Service will become divisions of the National Institute of Culture and History. Also included will be a new body called the Institute for Social and Cultural Research. Cabinet made the decision yesterday to create the statutory body which they say will be independent of government control, yet still get financial support. The directors of the divisions will make up the Board of Directors with the president of the institute as chairperson. To provide adequate district representation, a General Assembly for the NICH will be made up of members appointed by the town boards, City Council, village councils and N.G.O.s registered with the Ministry of Culture.
In the wake of Hurricane Mitch, the Ministry of Finance has approved assistance to local governments for damage caused by the storm and to improve their ability to serve their communities in an emergency. The Belize City Council will get one point eight million dollars followed by San Pedro Town Board which will receive two hundred thousand dollars. The town board in Orange Walk will get one hundred and twenty thousand while town boards in Corozal and Dangriga will be given one hundred thousand dollars each. San Ignacio, Santa Elena, and Benque, will each receive fifty thousand, while Punta Gorda gets fifteen thousand.
The Ministry of Finance has also approved a line of credit for over eighteen million dollars from the Caribbean Development Bank. A portion of the loan is to be used for sub-loans to agriculture, industrial and tourism development, to purchase or build houses, for micro or small enterprises, and student loans. Another portion will be available through credit unions or other non-governmental organizations for a special mortgage program for home building and improvement. The Ministry of Economic Development presented and had approved the provision of fiscal incentives to five companies: Belize Choice Gas Company Limited, M and M Groves Limited, Mayan Aggregate Supply Company Limited, Neon Plastics and Carillo’s Mattress and Foam. In all these companies employ sixty-seven people and will create fifteen additional jobs with the incentives.
And finally, Cabinet agreed that the Belize City Council will be allowed to lease the land in front of the B.C.B. and adjacent to the Treasury Building in order to construct a car park.
