There was a meeting of the House of representatives on Friday May 12 during which Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow announced that the government will be taking on two loans for the Social Investment Fund (SIF) and the Development Finance Corporation (DFC). These loans will be facilitated by the Caribbean Development Bank at interest rates not exceeding 3.3%.
The PM noted that 20 million U.S. dollars will be borrowed to make loans available at the DFC for small and medium sized enterprises, student loans, low income housing and renewable energy projects in Belize. The motion was taken through the three readings and the Prime Minister stated that there was urgency to have the money available to the DFC since there is a queue of persons at that institution who have made applications for loans.
A second loan of 10 million U.S. dollars will also be made for the SIF to implement a variety of projects that will directly impact as many as 35 thousand beneficiaries. According to the Prime Minister the money will finance, “8 community subprojects, finance 24 small medium size community projects to improve the living conditions of approximately 35 thousand beneficiaries.”
It is noteworthy that the Social Investment Fund is perhaps the most active implementing agency for the Government of Belize overseeing execution of projects in the Education, Health Infrastructure, Water and Poverty Alleviation sectors.
This is a list of some of the projects that have been recently executed by the SIF:
EDUCATION [ALL COMPLETE]
• All Saints primary School extension
• Grace primary school extension
• Arms of love primary school extension
• St. Edmund Campion R.C. school substitution and extension
• Sunday Wood primary school extension
• Orange walk technical High school
• San Pedro Colombia preschool construction
• Corozal Methodist primary school extension
• San Jose government primary school extension and rehabilitation
• Santiago Juan preschool construction
WATER AND SANITATION [all complete except the ones noted]
• Maskallwater system [on-going]
• Chan Pine ridge water system upgrade
• Indian Church San Carlos Water system construction
• Sarteneja water system rehabilitation
• Cotton tree, St. Mathew, Frank’s eddy water supply extension
• Young bank, Camalote water system extension
• Corozalito Village [Cayo] water supply
• Gardenia/Biscayne [on-going]
• Santa Anna water system upgrade
•  Aguacate water system rehabilitation and expansion
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HEALTH [all presently on-going]
• San Pedro/Cristo Rey Health Center construction [on-going]
• San Narciso Polyclinic construction
• Chunox polyclinic construction
• Sarteneja health center substitution
• San Antonio health center substitution
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INFRASTRUCTURE [complete]
• Trial farm Drainage project
• Buttonwood bay drainage construction
