This morning at the Radisson Hotel, the media was invited to the government’s quarterly meeting.  Prime Minister Barrow, flanked by members of his cabinet reported on the accomplishments in the last quarter.  PM Barrow in his opening address says that in the face of all the economic challenges and natural disasters, his government has done well. The Prime Minister listed a number of achievements his government has ascertained, saying that  GOB has increased the safety net by 2 million dollars in the social assistance program to assist the poor. He said that over 1 hundred women have received entrepreneurial training and some 510 persons have received jobs under the Belize City rejuvenation project while funds have been secured from the Caribbean Development Bank in the sum of 3.5 Million US for the provision of potable water to 9 villages in the Belize River valley area. In addition to that, 15 million has been secured for municipalities and Town councils. In other areas of investment the PM says that there have been significant incentives extended through BELTRADE, in an excess of a billion dollars. Also, just under a million dollars have been given to La Immacuada Credit Union and another 1 million to aid small scale entrepreneurs in agriculture and in tourism. And while the issue of crime has been in the forefront of the news, PM Barrow says that he believes the efforts of the Minister of national security and the commissioner of police are commendable.   
In the question and answer session of the press conference, Prime Minister Barrow was asked to comment on the current situation with BTL.  In the matter of oil, Prime Minister Barrow said that he is not going to interfere with any legally binding documents. That is in specific reference to the BNE contract, and the PM made the distinction between secret contracts and others that were signed openly. And while there have been three new concessions approved by GOB for oil exploration, Prime Minister Barrow says that if there is oil we need to find it. 

It’s been reported in the media that the G-20 countries have threatened Belize with possible sanctions. The caution is as a result of Belize not complying with international tax information sharing protocols. What those sanctions could be is unclear, but what is true is that Belize needs to sign 12 tax information exchange agreements. And that has to be done by March. Small countries who have operated as a tax haven for years are now being put under pressure and it seems that there is nothing the small countries can do. Prime Minister Barrow read a letter written by legal counsel Gian Ghandi, to address certain misconceptions and misrepresentations. PM Barrow says that he feels confident that we will sign the tax information agreements by March.