New Economic Transformation Minister Outlines Agenda
The title has changed, but Dr. Osmond Martinez’s mission remains the same: create opportunities, grow the economy and ensure more Belizeans benefit. After rising from CEO to Minister of Economic Transformation, Martinez now has the authority to advance an agenda he helped develop. Over the next four years, he plans to attract new investment, support small businesses, unlock more climate financing and tackle poverty. Tonight, he outlines where the work begins.
Dr. Osmond Martinez, Minister of Economic Transformation
“What we have to focus on and it’s already completed, is the medium-term development strategy for 2026 to 2030 which highlights importance issues on how we can continue to grow or how will we be able to grow our economy at 5% of GDP. Many mit- may say, “Oh, listen we don’t eat GDP,” right? And so just for people to understand, the GDP is like a report card for the government that helps to understand where we are. So for example, creation of jobs is very important. But also how do you bring in foreign direct investment? How do we continue to create opportunity for our Belizean people? How do we continue to invest at the microeconomic level whereby people can have maybe affordable housing, an affordable vehicle and to address the issues of inflation. We also have climate finance that we will need to continue to champion. The Prime Minister have done an excellent job in mobilizing climate finance. We have the – we have built that relationship with the with the development partners or agencies that are responsible to mobilize climate finance such as the Green Climate Fund and the Adaptation Fund. So with that, it will help us to continue to implement projects that will have an impact in the agro-productive sector, the transportation sector, the infrastructure, especially in issue related to drainage. We’re working on drainage issue from Corozal, Orange Walk, San Pedro, Belize City San Ignacio Dangriga, and Punta Gorda, to be able to mobilize those type of finance that will not be a cost to the government, but a benefit to the government.”
Martinez says the ministry’s success will ultimately be measured not just by economic growth figures, but by whether Belizeans feel the benefits through more jobs, stronger businesses, improved infrastructure and a higher quality of life.
Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.
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