Population: 282,600 Land area: 22,966 square Km Capital: Belmopan Language(s): English Spanish Local Currency: Belizean dollar (BZD) Exchange: US$1.00 = BZD $2.00 UNDP Human Development Rank: 80 0f 177 Life Expectancy: 75.9 yrs Adult Literacy rate: 75.1 Official Government website: http://www.belize.gov.bz/

• Governor General - Sir Colville YOUNG
• Prime Minister - Dean O. BARROW 
• Dep. Prime Minister - Gaspar VEGA
• Min. of Agriculture & Fisheries - Rene MONTERO 
• Min. of Economic Development, Commerce and Industry, and Consumer Protection - Erwin CONTRERAS
• Min. of Education - Patrick FABER
• Min. of Finance - Dean BARROW
• Min. of Attorney General and Foreign Affairs & Foreign Trade - Wilfred ELRINGTON
• Min. of Health - Pablo MARIN
• Min. of Housing and Urban Development -  Michael FiINNEGAN
• Min. of Human Development & Social Transformation - Eden MARTINEZ 
• Min. of Labour, Local Government and Rural Development - Gabriel MARTINEZ
• Min. of National Security - Carlos PERDOMO 
• Min. of Natural Resources & the Environment - Gaspar VEGA
• Min. of Public Service, Governance Improvement and Elections & Boundaries - John SALDIVAR
• Min. of Public Utilities, Transport, Communications and National Emergency Management - Melvin HULSE
• Min. of State - Elvin PENNER
• Min. of Tourism and Civil Aviation  -  Manuel HEREDIA 
• Min. of Youth, Sports and Culture -  Marcel CARDONA
• Min. of Works - Anthony "Boots" MARTINEZ 
• Senior Minister -
• Attorney General -  Wilfred ELRINGTON 
• Governor, Central Bank - 
• Ambassador to the US - 
• Permanent Representative to the UN, New York - 

Public Holidays: New Year's Day (01 January); Baron Bliss Day (09 March); Good Friday; Holy Saturday; Easter Monday; Labour Day (02 May); Sovereign's Day (24 May); National Day (10 September); Independence Day (21 September); Columbus Day (12 October); Garifuna Settlement Day (19 November); Christmas Day (25 December); Boxing Day (26 December)

• Belize: WB Announces New Country Partnership Strategy

Washington, September 8, 2011 — The World Bank Board of Directors today endorsed
 the Belize Country Partnership Strategy for the next four years. The strategy supports the country’s efforts to adopt a sustainable natural resource-based  economic model, while enhancing Belize’s resilience to climate change and natural  hazards......
source: World Bank

• General Trends

-  According to ECLAC's flagship report Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2009-2010, The continued impact of the floods of 2008 and the contagion from recessionary conditions in major markets led to a retreat from sound growth in 2008 (3.8%) to no growth (0%) in 2009. Nevertheless, this leaves Belize as one of the better performers in the Caribbean, given the pervasive downturn in the region.
The primary goods and services sectors took the brunt of the impact, with contractions of 2.4% and 1.4%, respectively. Owing to lower fuel and food prices  and sluggish internal demand, Belize experienced deflation of 0.4% in 2009 following price rises of 4.4% in 2008.

-  In ECLAC's Economic Survey of the Caribbean 2008-2009,  growth recovered in 2008, to 2.1% from 1.2% in 2007, despite the slowdown in global demand occasioned by the financial and economic crisis and the dampening effects of flood damage in 2008. The pick up in activity was driven by robust construction activity and a substantial rise in petroleum output, which more than offset the downturn in agriculture and tourism.

Inflation spiked to 6.4%, the highest rate in the last 12 years and was propelled by an upsurge in food and fuel prices during the first three quarters of the year. Unemployment declined to 8.2% from 8.5% in the previous year, as job growth was buoyed by improved activity.
source: ECLAC

• Economic Overview 2009

The Belizean economy contracted by 2.2% in the first quarter of 2009 as a result of reduced activity in wholesale & retail trade, hotels & restaurants, and agriculture. The wholesale & retail subsector registered the largest decline of 14.0% primarily due to the falloff in commercial free zone trade while declines in stay over tourist arrivals and cruise ship disembarkations contributed to a 10.7% contraction in the hotel & restaurant subsector.

Production downturns in banana and citrus were the main cause of the 6.8% contraction in ‘agriculture, hunting and forestry’. On the positive side, there was increased economic activity in construction, manufacturing, electricity and water, and other private sector services.

source: Central Bank of Belize Quarterly Review. March 2009

• Economic Survey of the Caribbean 2007-2008

The survey provides an overview of the economic performance of countries of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) for the year 2007 and their outlook for 2008. The last chapter presents country briefs with the main macroeconomic developments in 2007 and the outlook for 2008.

Growth momentum slowed in Belize during 2007, following more dynamic activity in the two previous years. Real output increased by 1.6%, following growth of 5.3% in 2006. Growth was compressed by lower output and exports in the critical agriculture sector, which was buffeted by Hurricane Dean, while value added in services picked up.

Despite the slowdown in activity and reflecting the strong pass-through of import prices, inflation rose to 4.1%, relative to 3.0% in 2006. Reflecting the hike in international oil prices and poorer harvests in various countries, inflation was largely driven by higher fuel and food prices. Unemployment posted a decline for the fourth consecutive year, as primary, secondary and tertiary activity all registered high job growth.

External accounts weakened in 2007, as a consequence of reduced commodity trade volumes due to hurricane damage and insect infestation in sugar and bananas and reduced marine and other exports.

• EIU 2008 Country Profile for Belize

The economy has traditionally been oriented towards agriculture. However, together with forestry and fishing, its share in total GDP has declined in recent years, to 10.6% of GDP in 2007 from 14.4% of GDP in 2003, according to data from the Central Statistical Office. Sugar has traditionally been the single largest export earner, bringing in almost 41% of total domestic export earnings in 1990, but only 17.5% in 2007, by which time foreign sales of citrus juices and crude oil were of greater importance, representing, respectively, 21% and 25% of total value of export earnings. Citrus fruits are processed into concentrated juice, which enjoys duty-free and quota-free access to the US market under the Caribbean Trade Partnership, as well as duty-free access to the EU. With preferential access to markets for sugar, citrus and banana exports likely to be phased out in the medium term, efforts are being made to diversify into nontraditional crops such as papaya, soybeans, cashews and chilli peppers, and to develop further the marine products sector.

The manufacturing sector has shown gradual growth in recent years and accounted for 11.4% of GDP in 2007, up from 7.8% of GDP in 2003. The sector  has traditionally centred on agricultural processing and food and beverage production.

The services sector grew in importance during the 1990s and has been by far the largest recent contributor to economic growth. The contribution from all services to GDP was 61.7% in 2007, up from 56.7% of GDP a decade earlier. Within the services sector, tourism is one of the fastest growing subsectors. The share of GDP of hotels and restaurants has increased from an average of 3.2% in
the 1990s to 4.6% in 2007. Transport and communications is also an important contributor to overall GDP, and has grown strongly over the past five years. Commerce is boosted by a vibrant commercial free zone, the Corozal Free Zone, near the border with Mexico, which focuses on retail of imported merchandise and fuel to the Mexican market and casino gambling.

Economic Performance
Belize's economic performance is highly uneven, with GDP growth recording marked fluctuations from one year to the next. Between 1995 and 2007 the economy grew by a lowly annual average of 2.4% (real GDP). However, this average growth rate masks wide fluctuations in annual growth. Economic performance has been vulnerable to both external (economic and climatic) shocks as well as erratic policymaking. In the early years of the PUP government from 1998, expansionary fiscal policy produced strong GDP growth
rates.

Annual GDP growth peaked at 12% in 2000, and again at 9.3% in 2003 Another supportive factor was the expansion in tourism, fishing and aquaculture, and in some manufacturing activities. The start of a small oil industry in 2006 resulted in growth of 5.3% that year; however, expansion slowed to 1.6% in 2007 as oil production reached a plateau. With the currency pegged to the US dollar, the rate of inflation has remained lower and relatively stable compared with other regional economies with more flexible exchange rates, averaging just 0.8% in 1998-2003. Inflation has trended steadily upwards since then, to a peak of 4.2% in 2006, as a result of stronger private consumption demand on the back of an improving economy, as well as increases in water charges and government taxes.

Tourism
The number of hotel rooms increased from 3,708 in 1995 to 5,789 in 2006; employment in the sector has also risen steadily, reaching 8,878 jobs in 2006. Hotel occupancy averaged 41% in 2002-06. Arrivals by cruise ship, which had dwindled to only a few passengers in 1996, have increased sharply since late 2001 with the opening of a cruise-ship facility in Belize City. As a result, arrivals totalled a peak of 851,436 in 2004 from 48,116 in 2001, falling back to 560,478 in 2007, as cruise lines shortened their routes in response to higher fuel prices.

In 1996 Belize ratified the Mundo Maya agreement with Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador for co-operation on the management of Mayan archaeological sites and related tourism promotion. The sector has strengthened since 1997, owing to an intensive marketing campaign in the US and a US$11.4m loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) for technical assistance, human resource development and the restoration of archaeological sites.

According to the Central Bank of Belize, stopover tourist arrivals reached an all- time high of 241,575 in 2007, up by 1.6% on the previous year. The US was the dominant market, with 60.7% of arrivals, compared with 13,6% from Europe, 6.4% from Canada, and much of the remainder from Guatemala and Mexico.
source: Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU)

• Overall Performance

Belize’s economic growth decelerated in the years of 2005 and 2006. Owed to the tightening of monetary and fiscal policies, this economic protraction was intentionally set, as the country implemented a stabilization policy in 2005 instead of their usual expansionary type.

Authorities tightened liquidity by channeling social security deposits; where fiscal discipline was maintained through lower interest payments and cuts in capital expenditure. Current account management also helped decrease the external account deficit to 8 ½ % of GDP in 2006 compared to the 14 % in 2005. Tourism receipts also seemed to pick up, as this sector registered a stronger value than last year’s.SourceIMF Executive Board Concludes 2006 Article IV Consultation with Belize

• Fiscal and Current Account Situation

Depletion of fiscal deficits in 2005 and 2006 could pose some harm to the Belizean economy in 2007. Reason being, the low taxes and cheap credit provided by the private sector in 1999 perpetuated large fiscal and current account imbalances, thus creating financial dependence on external creditors. The economy must now look at servicing financial gaps within both the fiscal and Balance of Payments sectors. The IMF’s staff appraisal [Belize: 2006 Article IV Consultation—Staff Report; Public Information Notice on the Executive Board Discussion; and Statement by the Executive Director for Belize] states : “The medium-term framework would need to include a combination of additional fiscal effort, continued monetary restraint, bilateral and multilateral financing, and relief from the envisaged debt operation. The latter is a key element in the government’s plan to put public finances on a sustainable basis, and the authorities should seek to reach a cooperative agreement with private creditors.

• Public Debt

(Source: Belize: 2006 Article IV Consultation—Staff Report; Public Information Notice on the Executive Board Discussion; and Statement by the Executive Director for Belize]

Stabilization policies created a substantial amount of positive results for the Belizean economy, yet the worrisome task of servicing the country’s public debt is first on the agenda for 2006/07 fiscal year.

As of June 30, 2006, Belize’s public and publicly guaranteed debt stood at 1,088 million (93.5 percent of GDP). The main structural characteristics of this debt follows:

The overwhelming majority of the public and publicly guaranteed debt is owed to external creditors and denominated in foreign currency. As of June 2006, external creditors held over 90 percent of total debt (86 percent of GDP). All external debt is foreign currency denominated and unhedged. The small amount of domestic public debt consists mainly of loans and treasury bills and notes by banks. The marginal relevance of domestic debt reflects the underdevelopment of Belize’s domestic financial markets.

Commercial creditors hold more than 60 percent of the external public debt. The remainder of the external debt is held by multilateral creditors (23 percent), mainly CDB and IADB; bilateral creditors (16 percent), mainly Taiwan Province of China; and export credit (1 percent).
source: IMF

MDGs

BELIZE First Millennium Development Goals Report.  2004

The structure of the report is based on the guidelines developed by the UNDGO for country reports and as such is structured to provide information on the status and trends of the goals and targets through an assessment of the related, relevant indicators between 1990 and 2003.  The Report begins with a summary of all eight goals and targets, and a brief assessment of the status of the goal as well as the key challenges Belize has to overcome in order to accelerate progress. In addition to analysis of the main challenges that impact the status and trends it also outlines general strategies, policies and programs that have been enabled and that contribute to the potential for achieving the goals and targets by 2015.

Source: Ministry of National Development. Government of Belize

Tourism

The Belize Coastal Tourism Project: An Assessment of the Environmental, Socio-Cultural and Economic Impacts of Tourism in Coastal Communities in Belize.

The purpose of the Belize Coastal Tourism Project was to assess the environmental, socio-cultural and economic impacts of tourism in six coastal communities in Belize including Belize City, San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Placencia, Hopkins and San Pedro. In particular, the research was intended to improve our understanding of how to promote tourism that provides maximum benefits to local people, coastal communities, the nation and the marine environment while having minimal negative impacts upon them.

Survey interviews were carried out with 403 local people (including fishermen, tour guides and random households) and 300 overnight and cruise ship tourists across the study communities during the period of March œ November 2005 by a researcher from the University of Rhode Island in collaboration with a team of Belizean research assistants.

2005 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices (Western Hemisphere)

All men and women desire and deserve to live in dignity and liberty. As President Bush said: "The advance of freedom is the great story of our time." Promoting human rights and democracy is a worldwide phenomenon and there is a growing global discussion of democracy and the universal values protected by democratic governance.

By defending and advancing human rights and democratic principles, we keep faith with our country’s most cherished values and lay the foundation for lasting peace. Fulfilling the promise of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and building vibrant democracies worldwide will take generations, but it is work of the utmost urgency that cannot be delayed.
Source:US Dept. of State

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL REPORT 2006 - BELIZE

There were reports of police abuse and use of excessive force. Eight people remained on death row. Children were subject to a wide range of human rights abuses.

Background
There were strikes and riots in January and April as a result of public anger over the economy. The government expressed a desire to change the Constitution in order to accept the jurisdiction of the Caribbean Court of Justice as the final court of appeal in Belize, replacing the Privy Council.

Death penalty One person was sentenced to death in 2005. In 2004 two death sentences were passed, but no executions were carried out. At the end of 2005, eight people were held on death row. There had been no executions since 1985.

Abuses by police
There were several reports of abuses by police, including torture, ill-treatment and arbitrary detention. Three men, a father and his two sons, were arrested separately in July, on suspicion of withholding evidence related to a bank robbery. All three were reportedly beaten and subjected to electric shock torture before being released without charge.

Children
The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed a number of concerns about abuses of children in Belize in its Concluding Observations issued in 2005, although it acknowledged that the government had made some efforts to remedy the situation. Concerns included: corporal punishment of children; discrimination against vulnerable groups of children; children without birth registration and nationality; the lack of access of non-registered children to services such as education and health; and the generally violent environment in which many Belizean children live.
Source:Amnesty International

The government of Belize is highly committed to the education of its citizens. In recent years over 20% of its recurrent expenditure was assigned to education. In the 2007 budget, education accounted for 25% of government expenditure.

In 2004, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports held a three day National Education Summit where over 1200 participants conferred with each other on the necessary improvements for Belize’s education system. Hundreds of recommendations were made. Ministry staff and experienced educators considered these recommendations and devised a strategy for educational development in the country.

This blueprint, referred to as the Ministry of Education Action plan 2005-2010, encompasses many key elements of the educational system. They include 1. Early childhood education 2. Teacher training 3. Adult and continuing education 4. Curriculum review and assessment 5. Special Education 6. Technical and Vocational Education 7. Higher Education 8. Policy Development. While most of these improvements had a scheduled deadline between 2005 and 2010, some are expected to be completed in 2015.

Realising the importance of higher education, the ministry held a National Tertiary Education Conference in September 2006. The plans for tertiary education include improved financing and infrastructure and a sustainable loan programme so that tertiary education will be available to all.

Improvements in primary school education include a textbook programme which will provide primary school students with free textbooks in five core areas. This programme is scheduled for a September 2007 start.
MINISTRY OF EDUCATION ACTION PLAN 2005 – 2010
Budget Presentation 2007-2008
Keynote Address by Minister of Education
Belize Medical School

Belize is located in Central America. The country boasts a verdant forest and a coral reef since it is bordered by the Caribbean Sea on its eastern side and the Mayan Forest on the other. The Maya Mountain Marine Corridor (MMMC) which encompasses the country’s tropical rainforests, coastal wetlands, mangrove forests and coral reef has one of the world’s greatest collections of biodiversity. The Mayan forest is home to over 220 tree species and 350 species of birds. The country also possesses the largest barrier reef in the Western hemisphere, the Meso-American Reef which is second only to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef in world ranking. The presence of over 500 species of fish has been recorded in the reef. This array of natural splendour helps to generate tourism. The government of Belize and many NGOs such as Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) and the Nature Conservancy understand the importance of protecting the country’s natural treasures from degradation caused by economic and agricultural development and tourism. Over 40% of Belize’s total land area is protected. The protected areas of Belize extend beyond the forested areas and the reef. There are archaeological reserves such as Cahal Pech and Caracol which are protected by the Ancient Monuments & Antiquities Act. Belize is also home to the world’s only jaguar sanctuary. This protection and conservation ensures that these areas continue to perform their ecological, social, economic and cultural purposes.

The Belize Department of Environment works to educate the public and tourists about issues relating to the preservation and sustainability of the environment. The department outlines many guidelines for farmers, workers in the automotive and fiberglass industry and service station workers and owners. Despite the government’s seemingly strong committed to the sustainable development of the environment, an increase in cruise ship arrivals and recent oil exploits by the Belize Natural Energy Ltd (BNEL) have many Belize citizens concerned about the environmental impacts of these endeavours.

Through an Environmental Impact Assessment Report, BNEL assures citizens that there will be minimal adverse environmental impacts and slight disruption to the communities caused by its operations.
Department of Energy: Environmental Impact Assessment report

Solid Waste Management

HIV/AIDS POLICY OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE OF BELIZE. Office of Governance. Government of Belize. August 2007

Belize currently has a rate of infection of 2.6% with 15 to 44 year olds being most at risk of infection. “For a country with limited human and financial resource, it is feared that this epidemic can have potentially devastating effects on the national development.”

Health Sector Reform Project.

The health sector of Belize has been under reform since 1996. Its completion is scheduled for mid 2008. The Health Sector Reform project is being financed by the Inter-American Development Bank, the Caribbean Development Bank, the European Union, and the Government. The purpose of the reform is to provide equitable, quality, efficient, accessible health care to all people of Belize. This will be done through the restructure of the health sector, improvement of services, the support of a National Health Insurance Fund, the improvement of infrastructure and the purchase of new medical and laboratory equipment and ambulances. Many health centres have been upgraded since the implementation of the reform project. The National Health Insurance Programme will also be upgraded to include every citizen.

The country continues to educate the public about lifestyle changes to prevent chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes. Primary healthcare can be obtained at community health centres in rural and urban areas. The Ministry of Health operates the country’s Expanded Programme on Immunization through the Maternal and Child Health programme. Immunization services are also available privately. The country has immunization coverage of over 95%.

Databases

Selected Statistical Indicators for BELIZE
UN Statistics Division for BELIZE: MDG Indicators 
Caribbean Social Statistics Database
Caribbean Trade Statistical Database

Climate Change Being Studied In Belize
April 27, 2011
Scientists studying the effects of climate change on small island states are being hosted in Belize for the next two days, as they share their findings on this Global phenomenon impacting small economies like Belize and sister nations of the Caribbean region.

Belize government reveals US$100M stimulus plan

BELMOPAN, Belize – PRIME MINISTER Dean Barrow announced the creation of a US$100M economic stimulus plan at a press conference on Thursday (Jan. 22).