On Tuesday April 19th, Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Caroline Clarke, IDB Representative in Belize signed on to two loan contracts each in the amount of US million for the financing of projects to support youth in Belize City and for a Water and Sanitation program in Placencia.
One of the five million dollar loans will be directly targeted at a Community Action for Public Safety Programme (CAPS) which is aimed at efforts that will reduce youth involvement in major violent crimes in Belize City. Under the CAPS programme intervention programs will be put in place to reduce youth involvement in criminal activities as well as youth violent behavior in schools. Additionally programs will be targeting recidivism among youth in juvenile rehabilitation institutions. The funding will also be used to enhance the government’s capacity to formulate and implement evidence-based policies on public safety.
Under the second loan agreement, an Integrated Water and Sanitation Programme will be put in place for the Placencia Peninsula. This will be specifically to provide and increase access to wastewater-treatment through the development of a new Sewage Collection, Treatment and Disposal System on the Placencia Peninsula. The water system will integrate existing individual wastewater treatment facilities into a new Collection, Treatment and Disposal System that best meets the needs of the Placencia Peninsula Residents. It will also provide institutional strengthening and knowledge transfer through training sessions, public awareness campaigns and the establishment of benchmarks for the replication of additional wastewater investment projects in Belize.
In signing the loan contracts, Prime Minister Barrow expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to the President, Executive Directors and Senior Management of the Bank, as well as technical staff of both the Bank and the Government who worked diligently to bring both Projects to an early approval. The Prime Minister also reaffirmed the Government of Belize’s commitment to enhancing public safety and to expanding and improving the environmental and waste management infrastructure in Belize.
Speaking on behalf of the IDB, Country Representative Clarke said: “The IDB is pleased to be a partner in the development of Belize and to have the opportunity to support the strategies of the Government to promote public safety and is also happy to be able to contribute to development of critical wastewater infrastructure for the residents of the Placencia Peninsula”.
The occasion was also used for signing a Technical Cooperation (TC) Agreement between the IDB and the Belize Water and Services, Ltd. (BWSL) in the sum of US$500,000 for the Detailed Design of a Wastewater Collection and Treatment System in Placencia. This non-reimbursable TC will support the loan agreement for the integrated wastewater programme in Placencia.
