House Debates Loan for Caye Caulker Wastewater Project

During Tuesday’s House meeting, government also tabled a twenty-five-million-dollar loan motion to build Caye Caulker’s long‑awaited wastewater system. Both sides backed the project, but the debate zeroed in on the sovereign guarantee and whether BWSL’s added debt will drive up water rates. The IDB is financing the effort with a ten-million US dollar loan and a two-point-two-five million US dollar GEF grant to build a sewage network and treatment plant. Opposition Leader Tracy Panton questioned whether BWSL can shoulder the loan without passing costs to consumers, while Belize Rural South’s area rep argued the growing island urgently needs the system.

 

Tracy Panton, Leader of the Opposition

“The concern I have Madam Speaker is the sovereign guarantee being proposed by this motion. Because with this guarantee comes a contingent liability on the public purse. What is the current financial position of BWSL, one. Two Madam Speaker, what’s the existing debt obligations of BWSL Madam Speaker. And how this new loan facility will affect the long term financial sustainability and the rates that are passed on to the consuming public.”

 

Andre Perez, Area Representative, Belize Rural South

“While you may say about the amount of figure that is very high, you might justify and say well it’s a small community of maybe about five thousand residents. Please LO, I want you all and everybody to understand Madam Speaker the importance of this project of such magnitude. It’s not only for our people in Caye Caulker but as far as the tourism industry is concerned, environmentally it is very very important, long overdue. So Madam Speaker, the contribution of this small community, let’s not forget that, the contribution of this small community contributes to this country is far more justified.”

 

And with questions still swirling about who ultimately pays for the project, the debate over Caye Caulker’s wastewater upgrade is far from settled.

 

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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