Guyana President to Visit Belize as Cabinet Approves Major National Measures

Cabinet has welcomed the announcement by the Prime Minister that President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, has accepted an invitation to pay a State Visit to Belize from February 1 to 3.  During the visit, Dr. Ali will address a Special Sitting of the National Assembly on February 2 at the newly renovated Assembly Building on Independence Hill.  At its recent meeting, Cabinet also approved a series of measures across economic development, social protection, governance, and trade. Among them is the establishment of a National Cacao Committee to strengthen the competitiveness of Belize’s cacao sector and support compliance with emerging international market requirements.  Cabinet further approved the expansion of services for homeless and displaced persons, including the establishment of new shelters in priority districts, under the ongoing Belize Homeless and Rough Shelter Initiative, aimed at addressing complex social challenges and strengthening the country’s social protection system.  In addition, Cabinet approved a coordinated national implementation framework for the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act, which was signed into law in 2024. The framework outlines institutional responsibilities, compliance mechanisms, reporting obligations, and oversight arrangements.  Cabinet has also adopted the National Rural Development Strategy (NRDS) 2026–2030, directing the Ministry of Rural Transformation, Community Development and Local Government to lead its implementation. The strategy is structured around four pillars, Partnership, Prosperity, People, and Places, and aims to improve coordination, investment, and quality of life in rural communities.  On security and immigration, Cabinet approved the establishment of a joint vetted unit to support immigration crime prevention, in partnership with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security, to be formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding.  Cabinet also approved amendments to the Customs and Excise Duties Act to correct tariff breaches under World Trade Organization (WTO) bound rates, ensuring Belize’s compliance with its international trade obligations. A further amendment was approved to implement the fourth phase of tariff reductions under the Belize–Taiwan Economic Cooperation Agreement, bringing Belize into full compliance with its phased tariff commitments.  The decisions underscore Cabinet’s focus on strengthening governance, economic competitiveness, social protection, and international cooperation.