Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1694500975451.pdf (Belize)
BELIZE No.

HR17/1/12 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES th ​ January 2018 Friday, 5 10:00 AM -*- -*- -*- S U P P L E M E N T A R Y ORDERS OF THE DAY 6.

Papers.

No.

HR123/1/12 - Supplementary Appropriation Schedule for Fiscal Year 2017/2018.

No.

HR124/1/12 - Social Security Board – Financial Statements for Years Ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, and Actuarial Review of the Social Security Scheme as at December 31, 2015.

No.
No.

HR125/1/12 - Social Security Board – Actuarial Review of the Social Security Scheme – 31 December 2016; Audited Financial Statements for Years ended December 2016 and 2015; and Reports also at www.socialsecurity.org.bz.

No.

HR126/1/12 - Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute Audited Financial Statements for the Year Ended March 31, 2016.

No.

HR127/1/12 - Stores Orders (Amendment) Regulations, 2017.

No.

HR128/1/12 - Financial Orders (Amendment) Regulations, 2017.
(The Right Honourable Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Natural Resources) 8.

Questions to Ministers.

(See Notice Papers Attached).

​ 2 12.

Introduction of Bill.

1.

General (2017/2018) Bill, 2018.

Revenue Supplementary Appropriation Bill for an Act to appropriate further sums of money for the use of the Public Service of Belize for the financial year ending on the thirty-first day of March, two thousand and eighteen.
(The Right Honourable Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Natural Resources) 14.

Public Business.

A.

Government Business I 1.

COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY Supplementary Appropriation (No.3) Schedule for Fiscal Year 2016/2017.

th ​ December 2017) (referred 8 ​ II MOTIONS (For Text of Motions see ) Notice Papers attached ​ 1.

2.

3.

Stores Orders (Amendment) Regulations, 2017 – Affirmative Motion, 2018.

Cabinet’s recommendation to be signified.


Financial Orders (Amendment) Regulations, 2017 – Affirmative Motion, 2018.

Cabinet’s recommendation to be signified.

International Cooperation and Development Fund of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Loan Guarantee Motion 2018 In Favor of Belize Telemedia Limited.

Cabinet’s recommendation to be signified.

(The Right Honourable Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Natural Resources) ​ ​ ​ 3 III BILL FOR SECOND READING 1.
General (2016/2017) (No.3) Bill, 2017.

Revenue Supplementary Appropriation Bill for an Act to appropriate further sums of money for the use of the Public Service of Belize for the financial year ending on the thirty-first day of March, two thousand and seventeen.

(The Right Honourable Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Natural Resources) IV COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE HOUSE ON BILL V BILL FOR THIRD READING ❧❧❧❧❧ 4 BELIZE No.

HR17/1/12 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES th ​ January 2018 Friday, 5 10:00 AM.
-*- -*- -*- S U P P L E M E N T A R Y NOTICES OF QUESTIONS AND MOTIONS Q U E S T I O N S [For Oral Answer] Notice given on 27 th ​ December 2017.

*1.

Can the Minister of Works please tell which consulting firm was selected to oversee the contract given to Road Way Construction Company in the Santa Elena/San Ignacio area?

Was there a blast design?

Can you please inform the nation what is the procedure in obtaining a blast permit and what is the protocol after the permit is used?

*2.
*2.

Will the Minister of Police tell this nation who gave permission to the police to notify residents to evacuate the area in Santa Cruz, Cayo?

Was there any consultation with the residents before the blast was done?

Did the Police receive a permit with specific instructions from the department of mines, if so can that permit be shown to the Members of the National Assembly?

*3.
*3.

Can the Minister of Tourism provide the estimates for the first design for the Caye Caulker airstrip which was at a cost of about 7.8 million dollars?

Can the Minister also provide estimate for the second figure of 3.5 million quoted on national T.V which is almost 50 percent less than the original estimate but reiterated that the same job will be realized?

(The Honourable Member for Stann Creek West) ❧❧❧❧❧ ​ ​ 5 BELIZE No.
HR17/1/12 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES th ​ January 2018 Friday, 5 10:00 A.M. -*- -*- -*- S U P P L E M E N T A R Y NOTICES OF QUESTIONS AND MOTIONS M O T I O N S 1.

Stores Orders (Amendment) Regulations, 2017 – Affirmative Motion, 2018.

Notice given on 28 th .
​ December 2017 the provisions of section 23 of the Finance and Audit WHEREAS, (Reform) Act, Chapter 15 of the Substantive Laws of Belize, confers powers upon the Minister responsible for Finance to make Regulations for giving better effect to said Act; AND WHEREAS, the Minister of Finance has used such powers to make Regulations to amend the Stores Orders 1968 to increase the ceilings under which Accounting Officers may purchase stores and also to obtain stores items from abroad without first having to obtain the written approval of the Financial Secretary; AND WHEREAS, increase in the ceilings are as follows: 1.
Total Cost of Individual items of stores: $10,000 (up from $3,000); 2.

Total Cost of Items of stores in one Single Order: $20,000 (up from $7,000); 3.
Total Cost of items to be obtained from abroad: foreign that all $50,000 (up from a requirement purchases required prior approval); AND WHEREAS, no change has been made to the Tender procedure itself as outlined in Chapter 10 of the Financial Orders; ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 6 AND WHEREAS, last time the ceilings were adjusted was in the year 1992; these new Regulations were deemed necessary as the with the passage of time, such low ceilings had become AND WHEREAS, unduly constraining and restrictive and have contributed the slow processing of government purchases; AND WHEREAS, ORDERS (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 2017 a copy of the new Regulations entitled is annexed hereto; STORES section 23 (4) of the Finance and Audit (Reform) Act, AND WHEREAS, Chapter 15 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2011, provides that all Regulations made by the Minister shall be subject to affirmative resolution of the National Assembly; the said that this Honourable House, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED STORES ORDERS (AMENDMENT) being satisfied that , will give better effect to the provisions of the REGULATIONS, 2017 Finance and Audit (Reform) Act, Chapter 15 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2011 and to the general efficiency of government operations approves and affirms these said Regulations.
Cabinet’s recommendation to be signified.

2.

Financial Orders (Amendment) Regulations, 2017 – Affirmative Motion, 2018.

Notice given on 28 th ​ December 2017.


WHEREAS, the provisions of section 23 of the Finance and Audit (Reform) Act, Chapter 15 of the Substantive Laws of Belize, confers powers upon the Minister responsible for Finance to make Regulations for giving better effect to said Act; AND WHEREAS, the Minister of Finance has used such powers to make Regulations to amend the Financial Orders 1965 to increase the ceiling under which Accounting Officer may make verbal and written contracts; 1.
Authority to make Verbal Contracts: $10,000 (up from $2,000); 2.

Authority to make Written Contracts with approval of the Minister: $50,000 (up from $20,000); 3.

Authority for Accounting Officers to Normally Invite Tenders: Above $20,000 but below $50,000 (up from $10,000); 4.
Authority above which Accounting Officers Shall Invite Tenders: Above $50,000 (up from $20,000); AND WHEREAS, last time the ceilings were adjusted was in the year 1992; these new Regulations were deemed necessary as the with the passage of time, such low ceilings had become AND WHEREAS, unduly constraining and restrictive and have contributed to the slow processing of approval for small government contracts; e as follows: ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 7 AND WHEREAS, ORDERS (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 2017 a copy of the new Regulations entitled is annexed hereto; FINANCIAL AND WHEREAS, section 23 (4) of the Finance and Audit (Reform) Act, Chapter 15 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2011, provides that all Regulations made by the Minister shall be subject to affirmative resolution of the National Assembly; that this Honourable House, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED being satisfied that the said FINANCIAL ORDERS (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 2017, will give better effect to the provisions of the Finance and Audit (Reform) Act, Chapter 15 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2011, and to the general efficiency of government operations, approves and affirms these said Regulations.
Cabinet’s recommendation to be signified.

3. International Cooperation and Development Fund of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Loan Guarantee Motion 2018 In Favor of Belize Telemedia Limited.

Notice given on 2 nd ​ January 2018.
WHEREAS, Belize Telemedia Limited (“BTL”), is a private company incorporated under the laws of Belize which provides under license an extensive array of telecommunications and related services; AND WHEREAS, Government of Belize and by the Belize Social Security Board; majority shares in BTL are together held by the AND WHEREAS, BTL is desirous of borrowing funds from the International Cooperation and Development Fund (“the TaiwanICDF”) to assist in the financing of its National Broadband Program; AND WHEREAS, the TaiwanICDF is prepared to offer BTL such financing in the amount not to exceed Seventeen Million and Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (US$17,500,000) (“Loan”) under certain terms and conditions including the provision by the Government of Belize of an irrevocable and unconditional Loan Guarantee to the TaiwanICDF in favor of BTL, supported by a Resolution of the House of Representatives; AND WHEREAS, section 6 of the Finance and Audit (Reform) Act, 2005 also requires that the Government of Belize seeks the prior approval of the National Assembly by way of Resolution to offer such a Loan Guarantee; AND WHEREAS, TaiwanICDF Loan Offer to BTL are as follows: the main terms and conditions of the Borrower: Lender: Belize Telemedia Limited; International Cooperation and The Development Fund (TaiwanICDF); ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 8 Loan Principal Amount: Up to US $17,500,000.00 (Seventeen Million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars); Loan Commitment Period: Three Years; Loan Term: Purpose: Interest Rate: Repayment: Commitment Fee: Security: Twelve Years including a Three Years Grace Period; To assist with financing of the installation of a state-of-the-art fiber optic network to connect homes and businesses throughout Belize; 5.5% per annum (fixed); Repayment of the facility will be over a period of Nine Years after a Three Year Grace Period; 0.75% per annum on the portion of the commitment that has not been drawn or cancelled; for and Irrevocable Unconditional Guarantee from the Government
 of Belize to the TaiwanICDF in favor of lending up to US$17.5 BTL million Five Hundred Thousand United States Dollars) to BTL, plus Interest and all other related charges, supported by a Resolution of of Representatives; (Seventeen Million House the AND WHEREAS, the Government of Belize is desirous of obtaining the prior authorization of the National Assembly, by way of a Resolution, for the issue of such Loan Guarantee; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that this Honourable House, being satisfied that a sovereign guarantee is a key requirement of the TaiwanICDF in the case of this specific Loan, and being further satisfied that the Belize Telemedia Limited has the financial ability to make the payments and repayments in respect of the Loan, and being additionally satisfied that this Loan will lead to the growth of the economy of Belize, hereby approves and confirms that the Government of Belize may issue the required Loan Guarantee to the International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF) the performance of the Loan, on the terms and conditions set out above, and further authorizes the Minister of Finance to execute and deliver the said Guarantee Agreement and all other documents associated therewith for and on behalf of the Government of Belize.
in favor of Belize Telemedia Limited for Cabinet’s recommendation to be signified.

(The Right Honourable Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Natural Resources) ​ ​ 9 ❧❧❧❧❧