Groundbreaking Ceremony; B.D.F. to Get 3 New Buildings
Today, ground was broken for the construction of two living quarters and a mess hall for the soldiers at the B.D.F. headquarters at Price Barracks. The infrastructure project which has a price tag of over six million dollars, is being funded by the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, CABEI. News Five’s Duane Moody reports.
Duane Moody, Reporting
It was a project designed back in 2010, under the previous administration, but today, there is a light at the end of the tunnel for the Belize Defence Force, which has for years been clamouring for dormitories – also referred to as barrack rooms, as well as a kitchen and mess hall for the soldiers stationed at its headquarters at Price Barracks. With support from the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, C.E.O. in the Ministry of Economic Development Doctor Osmond Martinez says that a redesign of the project was approved and this is the third procurement for the B.D.F.
Osmond Martinez
Dr. Osmond Martinez, C.E.O., Ministry of Economic Development
“It was approved by CABEI in 2014 under the Central American Integral Security Program, however, nothing was done. The program was there, the money was there, but no construction – not one procurement was delivered under the Integral Security Program. Now this is the third procurement that will be done for the Belize Defence Force. The first was the ten troop lifting trucks that were delivered back in December by our prime minister. Just before that, we managed to give you some computers, printers which I trust they are working well and now, we are moving on to the construction of the two quarters and the kitchen.”
Florencio Marin Jr.
Florencio Marin Jr., Minister of National Defence
“These two buildings will cost approximately two point seven million dollars each. We will also be building a proper state-of-the-art kitchen for about one point one million dollars.”
…that is for a total value of six point five million dollars for this particular project. Minister of National Defence Florencio Marin Junior says that the focus is on the welfare of the soldiers.
Florencio Marin Jr.
“I’d like to think that you all are seeing changes, albeit small at times, but changes that are constantly occurring within the B.D.F. We never had much resources, but we decide to start from the ground up. We begin to fix the bathrooms; at least make that clean. Every camp has at least gotten some kind of repair, some kind of refurbishment. We had issues with transportation. The mobility of the B.D.F. was limited; now we have fifteen HINO trucks that is helping us, we also have some small pickups, SUVs that we are working it. So little by little we are getting the work done to be able to do the job that we are supposed to do.”
Each barrack room will be able to accommodate up to fifty soldiers for a total of one hundred within the next twelve to fifteen months, which is the time set to complete the structures. A tour was also done of the mess hall that will be replaced with a modern kitchen.
Christopher Coye
Christopher Coye, Minister of State, Finance
“We celebrate the start to the construction of two much needed accommodation buildings at a cost of approximately two point seven million dollars for a combined liveable space of ten thousand eight hundred square feet to accommodate some one hundred soldiers. This investment goes to the heart of our commitment to improve the living conditions of our soldiers and provide equipment that can make their jobs easier. In addition to these two buildings, work will commence simultaneously on a modern, well-equipped kitchen with mess halls that can sit between two hundred and fifty to three hundred soldiers.”
According to Minister Coye, infrastructure works will also be carried out at Fairweather Camp in Punta Gorda and Camp Belizario in the Cayo District. Duane Moody for News Five.
