From Channel 5 News Belize

A loan for roughly seventeen million Belize dollars is being guaranteed by government for Belize Water Services Limited to acquire shares in Consolidated Water Belize Limited in San Pedro. The privately held utility company on Ambergris Caye will be bought by BWSL and its system expanded to provide potable water, as well as sewerage, to residents on the island. The move comes after years of complaints by consumers of a shortage of water on the island during peak seasons of the year. Today, Acting Prime Minister Patrick Faber introduced a motion in the house which will trigger the acquisition of the company. That motion was agreed to by Leader of the Opposition John Briceño who also raised concerns about fire hydrants in places such as San Pedro and Orange Walk towns.

Patrick Faber, Acting Prime Minister
“And whereas the bank has offered a loan of U.S. eight million, five hundred and seven thousand dollars to Belize Water Services Limited, BWSL, on the condition, among others, that the loan shall be guaranteed by the Government of Belize and whereas the purpose of the loan is to purchase the shares of Consolidated Water Belize Limited, expand the existing water treatment plant, retrofit the San Pedro water and sewerage system, supply and install water distribution pipelines, water transmission mains, sewage collection pipelines, water service connections and sewer connections and supply and installation of forty-one KW photovoltaic generation system and whereas the terms and conditions of the loan are as follows: U.S. eight million five hundred and seventeen thousand dollars from the bank’s ordinary capital resources to be repaid in forty equal or approximately equal and consecutive quarterly installments on each due date, commencing on the first due date two years after the loan agreement.”

John Briceño, Leader of the Opposition
“Maybe this would be a good opportunity since [BWSL] is asking from the government a guarantee so that they can get this eight point five million dollars U.S. to do a much needed expansion for water in San Pedro. Maybe that could be a good opportunity for us to then ask [BWSL] to work with us with the fire hydrants because we have a massive problem with fire hydrants across the country. For instance in Orange Walk during the fire, we found out that the fire hydrant that’s right in front of the house that it was closed off.”

IMAGES:
JOHN BRICEÑO
PATRICK FABER

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