Cabinet Approves Coastal Moratorium and Energy Shift

Cabinet has rolled out a series of wide-ranging decisions following its latest meeting held on March thirty-first.  At the top of the agenda is a decisive move to safeguard Belize’s fragile coastal zones. Cabinet has approved a one-year moratorium on the issuance of new licenses for the use of the sixty-six-foot reserve and seabed for docks, piers, and overwater structures in urban and peri-urban coastal areas. The measure is intended to allow for a comprehensive national inventory and a strengthening of regulations to improve monitoring, compliance, and enforcement.  In tandem with that environmental focus, Cabinet also endorsed a Water Sector Adaptation Plan and approved a roadmap to guide a ten-year programme aimed at addressing vulnerabilities and building long-term resilience across key sectors. This forms part of a broader strategy to consolidate multiple National Adaptation Plans into a single multisectoral framework, positioning Belize to better access climate financing and respond to escalating climate risks.  On the regional front, Cabinet approved steps to deepen Belize’s participation in the CARICOM Single Market and Economy. This includes signing a protocol to update trade rules under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, as well as adding aviation personnel to the list of approved skills categories, moves expected to enhance labor mobility and trade integration within the region.  In energy and development, Cabinet gave the green light for modifications to the Millennium Challenge Corporation Belize Compact, including the reallocation of twenty million U.S. dollars from education to energy initiatives. Government has also committed counterpart funding, signaling a strong push toward strengthening Belize’s energy sector.  Looking ahead, Belize is set to host its first-ever International Energy Forum in September of this year. The event will bring together stakeholders to explore low-carbon development strategies and accelerate the country’s transition toward renewable energy.  Cabinet also reaffirmed its commitment to national resilience, approving a comprehensive Disaster Risk Management Work Programme spanning 2026 to 2030, and continuing its review of recommendations from the People’s Constitution Commission as part of a structured approach to constitutional reform.  And in closing, Cabinet extended best wishes to Belizeans for a safe and happy Easter holiday.