Cabinet okays budget supplementary to be taken to the House for hurricane relief

Efforts to help families recover, especially in Belize City, continue on various fronts. Prime Minister John Briceño’s Cabinet announced this morning that after a NEMO update, it will support budget supplementary bills to be taken to the House for hurricane relief. Cabinet says that as of November 15, NEMO tallied more than 35,000 tons of debris which have now been removed from the city. In addition, 140 homes were destroyed and more than 1,300 properties sustained damage at varying degrees. As such, Cabinet recommended that the supplementary be presented at the next House sitting. Similarly, a supplementary bill will also be presented to allocate funds to repair damage and upgrade the Supreme Court buildings , which were impacted by Hurricane Lisa. Also from Cabinet, the ministers gave their approval for the introduction of legislation to establish a Belize country office for the Central American Bank for Economic Development (CABEI). Cabinet also gave it approval for the Ministry of National Defence and Border Security to conduct necessary repairs and improvements to the Forward Operating Base facility at the mouth of the Sarstoon River, for the Air Wing of the Belize Defence Force and for much-needed repairs to Price Barracks.