Assessment of New Foreign Affairs Building Ongoing

An assessment of the recently constructed Foreign Affairs headquarters, the Leigh Richardson Building in Belmopan continues.  The new administration is concerned about the value for money.  As it stands, the structure, built at the cost of several million dollars, is not designed to meet the foreign ministry’s everyday needs or the office of foreign trade.  Both departments occupy space within the building, and the Ministry of Infrastructure has been consulted to lend technical expertise in carrying out the evaluation.

Julius Espat

Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development

“That is still ongoing.  You have to understand that when you are designing a building, you have to look at the requirements and I think that because the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now amalgamated with the Ministry of Foreign Trade they are struggling with the personnel that they have.  So they are at that phase, trying to determine all their needs, but it’s ongoing.  We are on call and whenever they have a question we will be there to assist them, but it’s not completed as yet.”

Reporter

“I know you said that you haven’t really began looking in terms of Ministry of Housing, can you at least say how many houses were built under the Barrow administration over the twelve years?  Have you been able to determine that?”

Julius Espat

“I’ve been looking quite… I haven’t been able to find one yet that is of any worth, but I might be mistaken.”

The building, which was funded by the Taiwanese government, was designed and constructed by the Arguelles brothers of International Environments.