The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Government of Belize today signed a grant agreement for US$540,000 to support the preparation of feasibility studies and social and environmental assessments for the rehabilitation of 32 miles of the George Price Highway between Belmopan and Benque Viejo del Carmen.
The agreement was signed in Belize City by Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Gina Montiel, Manager of the IDB’s Country Department for Central America, Mexico, Panama, and the Dominican Republic.
“We are pleased to support Belize in its efforts to expand and rehabilitate its road network, which is so crucial to the country’s development”, said Gina Montiel. The grant will support the preparation of an investment program to finance the infrastructure works needed to upgrade and absorb growing traffic volumes on the highway.
Transport is one of the four priority areas of the IDB’s new country strategy with Belize, approved in December. The other areas are education, tourism, and trade and tax policy.
The Bank will focus its support in the transport sector on the rehabilitation of roads that foster trade and integration and improved access to major tourism sites in the country. The IDB is also supporting the development of a national transportation master plan to address existing bottlenecks in the country’s roads, ports, air travel and transit systems and prioritize actions for improving the transport system as a whole.
Ms. Montiel is visiting Belize to hold discussions with the government on the Bank’s 2014 and 2015 program with Belize.
