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BELIZE No.

HR26/1/12 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Monday, 25th March 2019 10:00 AM.

-*- -*- -*- ORDERS OF THE DAY 1.

3.

7.

Prayers.

Announcements by the Speaker.

Presentation of Reports from Select Committees.

No.

HR192/1/12 - Report from the Public Service, Labour, Industry and Trade Committee on the Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (Amendment) Bill, 2019.

(The Honourable Chairman of the Public Service, Labour, Industry and Trade Committee) No.
HR193/1/12 - Report from the Ombudsman Reports Committee on The Eighteenth Annual Report of the Ombudsman of Belize for the Year Ending 2018.

(The Honourable Chairman of the Ombudsman Reports Committee) 8.

Questions to Ministers.

(See Notice Paper Attached).

12.

Introduction of Bills.

1.

Tax Administration and Procedure Bill, 2019.


Bill for an Act to establish the Domestic Tax Department, to facilitate the official and effective administration and collection of domestic taxes, to provide for tax procedures, to provide civil and criminal penalties for violating tax laws; and to provide for connected and incidental matters.

2.

Customs and Excise Duties (Amendment) Bill, 2019.


Bill for an Act to amend the Customs and Excise Duties Act, Chapter 48 of the Substantive Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2011; to implement the fifth and sixth phase of reduction of duties in accordance with the Economic Partnership Agreement; and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

2 3.

Customs Regulation (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
Bill for an Act to amend the Customs Regulation Act, Chapter 49 of the Substantive Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2011; to facilitate the provision of advance information relating to passengers and cargo of a conveyance; to share the information with other States with a view to identifying the passengers and cargo that may pose risks to security while facilitating Trade through Electronic Data Interchange; and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
(The Right Honourable Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Labour, Local Government, Rural Development, Energy, Public Utilities, Public Service and Elections and Boundaries) 13.

Motions relating to the Business or Sittings of the House.

14.

Public Business.

A.

Government Business [Resumption of the Debate on the General Revenue Appropriation (2019/2020) Bill, 2019] 1.

General Revenue Appropriation (2019/2020) Bill, 2019.
Bill for an Act to appropriate certain sums of money for the use of the Public Service of Belize for the financial year ending March 31, 2020.

(The Right Honourable Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Labour, Local Government, Rural Development, Energy, Public Utilities, Public Service and Elections and Boundaries) I COMMITTEE OF SUPPLY 1.

Draft Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for Fiscal Year 2019/2020.

(Sessional Paper No.

HR180/1/12 was presented on 15.03.19.)

2.


Official Charities Fund Motion, 2019.

(referred 15.03.19) II MOTIONS (For Text of Motions see Notice Paper attached) 1.

Official Charities Fund Motion, 2019.

(referred 15.03.19) 3 2.

Adoption of the Report from the Ombudsman Reports Committee on The Eighteenth Annual Report of the Ombudsman of Belize for the Year Ending 2018.

(referred 15.03.19) 3.

Inter-American Development Bank Multilateral Investment Fund III Motion, 2019.
Cabinet’s recommendation to be signified.

(The Right Honourable Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Labour, Local Government, Rural Development, Energy, Public Utilities, Public Service and Elections and Boundaries) III BILL FOR SECOND READING 1.

Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (Amendment) Bill, 2019.
Bill for an Act to amend the Belize Trade and Investment Development Service Act, Chapter 282 of the Substantive Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2011, to amend the number of Board of Directors required to form quorum for meetings of the Board; and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

(The Honourable Minister of Economic Development, Petroleum, Investment, Trade and Commerce) IV COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE HOUSE ON BILL V BILL FOR THIRD READING B.
Private Members’ Business I PETITION 1.

Petition to the Honourable House of Representatives to give support to a Private Members Bill entitled a Bill for an Act to amend the Representation of the People Act, 2019.

(The Honourable Member for Caribbean Shores) 4 BELIZE No.

HR26/1/12 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Monday, 25th March 2019 10:00 AM.

-*- -*- -*- NOTICES OF QUESTIONS AND MOTIONS Q U E S T I O N [For Oral Answer] Notice given on 14th March 2019.

*1.
*1.

Considering that at a previous House meeting the Minister of Works stated that the reason for the cost over run for the improvement of the George Price Highway (Western Highway) was due in part to land compensation, which the Prime Minster supported when he said in this House on 23rd November 2018: "You know how it is, Madam Speaker.

You believe that in acquiring properties that you need in order to widen the roadway that you can negotiate reasonable prices from the landowners.
Of course it never, ever turns out that way."

In light of this statement, can the Minister of Works please inform this Honourable House if the negotiations with respect to these land acquisitions have been completed?

And will the Minister of Works also provide this Honourable House with a list of those with whom Government is negotiating or has agreed to pay such compensation and how much has been agreed to be paid to each person or entity?

(The Honourable Member for Orange Walk Central) 5 BELIZE No.
HR26/1/12 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Monday, 25th March 2019 10:00 AM.

-*- -*- -*- NOTICES OF QUESTIONS AND MOTIONS M O T I O N S 1.

Official Charities Fund Motion, 2019.

(referred 15.03.19) BE IT RESOLVED THAT this Honourable House approves the expenditure of $2,385,089 from the Official Charities Fund as detailed in Appendix A of the Draft Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the year ending 31st March, 2020.

Cabinet’s recommendation to be signified.

2.


Adoption of the Report from the Ombudsman Reports Committee on The Eighteenth Annual Report of the Ombudsman of Belize for the Year Ending 2018.

(referred 15.03.19) THAT THIS HOUSE adopts the Report from the Ombudsman Reports Committee on The Eighteenth Annual Report of the Ombudsman of Belize for the Year Ending 2018.

Cabinet’s recommendation to be signified.

3.

Inter-American Development Bank Multilateral Investment Fund III Motion, 2019.
Notice given on 18th March 2019.
WHEREAS, Belize is a member of the Inter-American Development Bank (the “Bank”); AND WHEREAS, by virtue of its membership, Belize has the right to benefit from the Bank’s Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) which was established for the purpose of supporting economic growth and poverty reduction in its member countries; AND WHEREAS, there has been the successful establishment and implementation of MIF I, which was later replaced with MIF II, which is currently ongoing; Notice given on 5th March 2019.
6 AND WHEREAS, the member countries of the Bank, in an effort to ensure the continuation of the MIF’s activities and provide for an enhanced MIF II, have agreed to the establishment of a third Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF III) in the total sum of US $317.2 million to ensure the continuation of the activities of MIF II; AND WHEREAS, the Board of Governors of the Bank on 2nd April 2017, adopted Resolution MIF/DE-13-7 which approved the replenishment of the Multilateral Investment Fund, the MIF III, of US $317.2 million, which will now replace MIF II and govern all assets and liabilities of MIF II; AND WHEREAS, as per the norm, this replenishment of the MIF will be made up of contribution commitments by donor member countries of the Bank to continue activities during the period 2019-2023 under a renewed mandate, guiding principles and strategic framework; AND WHEREAS, Belize’s contribution to MIF III amounts to US $1,000,000.00 which will be paid in three equal annual installments of US $333,333.33, of which the first installment is now due and payable; AND WHEREAS, there is no specific provision in the International Financial Organizations Act, Chapter 265 of the Laws of Belize, or any other law to enable the Minister of Finance to make such contributions; AND WHEREAS, consequently, the Government of Belize is desirous of obtaining the approval of the National Assembly by way of a resolution before making such contributions; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that this Honourable House being satisfied that the above-mentioned contributions to MIF III would be beneficial to the interests of Belize, authorizes the Minister of Finance to sign an Instrument of Contribution and all other documents associated therewith.
Cabinet’s recommendation to be signified.

(The Right Honourable Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Labour, Local Government, Rural Development, Energy, Public Utilities, Public Service and Elections and Boundaries) 