PM Briceño Opens Investment Summit
The first ever Belize Investment Summit opened today on La Isla Bonita, San Pedro with potential investors arriving from around the hemisphere. The convergence is designed to attract much-needed capital for Belize’s development post-COVID and diversify the economy. Prime Minister John Briceño opened the Summit by saying Belize has many advantages, yes, but he was unyielding when it comes to investors who might want to change Belize too much to suit their own plans.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“The issue of the rule of law; the parliamentary system that we have; we have a stable economic system of governance; we are English-speaking; and that we are uniquely placed in Central America, having access to the United States – the largest economy in the world, Mexico, the rest of Central America and the Caribbean, so there are so many opportunities that we have and as a small country, we are small enough to be nimble enough to make the necessary changes that the COVID-19 pandemic expects of small countries like ours.”
Marion Ali
“Sir, some investors, particularly in infrastructure development are adamant in getting their way when it comes to development, infrastructure. How do we as a small country not compromise the conservation laws that protect us and actually make Belize stand out as a pristine location?”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Well, that is for us, non-negotiable, that you come to Belize not to go to a shopping mall. You come to Belize because of the natural beauty that our Creator has blessed us with. And now we have a moral responsibility to future generations to protect it. In my speech at COP26, that’s the very point that we’re making. We small countries are doing our part and now you have the bigger, developed countries don’t want to do their part. We have the opportunity in Belize to be able to have what you call twenty-twenty vision. We’ve seen what they have done wrong and now we have to ensure that we do not make those mistakes, which lead now to your question about the developers that come to Belize and want to put infrastructure in many instances recklessly or the way they want. If that’s the kind of infrastructure investment that you want to come to Belize and do, you are not welcome.”
