On April 18, Mrs. Carren A. Williams, Principal Planner in the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment, returned to Belize after completing a six-week training course on Infrastructure Development and Planning in the Republic of China (Taiwan).
 The primary objectives of the training course were: (1) to introduce the participants to the basic tools used to analyze the economics of infrastructure investment, (2) to acquaint the participants with the impact of infrastructure investment on urban environment; (3) to sensitize the participants with alternative mechanisms for financing infrastructure development, and (4) to teach the participants the process necessary to complete projects on time and within budget.
 According to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Gaspar Vega, this training on infrastructure development and planning falls in line with government’s 2008-2013 Manifesto to establish a National Infrastructure Project Management Authority that will provide oversight during the implementation of publicly-funded projects to ensure that the people of Belize get value for money.
 The Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Taiwan-based International Center for Land Policy Studies and Training sponsored the training course which ran from March 7 to April 16.
