EU Commits to Grant Belize $17 Million Euros

Dr. Osmond Martinez

C.E.O. Martinez shared that the European Union has also committed to granting Belize seventeen million Euros. He explained that the money will be used for projects in southern Belize.

Dr. Osmond Martinez, C.E.O., Ministry of Economic Development & Investment

“The main objective and outcome is to help the southern part of the country with sustainable green economy. The objectives are to help to reduce poverty, help to generate employment, and education. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is looking more at the trade aspect. Remember in the southern part of the country there is a lot of informal market in terms of trade. There is trade between Belize and Guatemala and it is not recorded. And then from the Ministry of Rural Transformation, they have put some points out – one is to help the MSMEs, the small agro-producers, say for example, the rice producers. Rice was the big deal in the south in the past. Now it will be the big deal again. But there are more; what about added value products. So these are opportunities that are coming by. However, the European Union also brought their own consultant. Their consultant was here to also conduct some studies and to look at the opportunities that we can explore in the southern part of the country.”