NGO Criticizes Government Spending of Conservation Funds on Unrelated Projects

One of the most salient points APAMO raised was how GOB is spending PACT’s funds. The NGO took issue with PACT supporting two recent initiatives it says had very little or nothing to do with conservation. PACT recently provided a non-recoverable fifty-thousand-dollar contribution to the Belize International Music and Food Festival. And, earlier this year, PACT was asked to grant the Ministry of Economic Development 370 thousand dollars to build a road in the Corozal Free Zone. The NGO community believes the projects are not aligned with the purpose of the trust, which they have not been able to access. However, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Sustainable Development Dr. Kenrick Williams says otherwise.

Dr. Kenrick Williams, CEO, Sustainable Development and Climate Change: “No, I don’t think the money is not going to the conservation and to the protected areas. As a matter of fact our board in April or thereabouts of this year approved close to $13 million in conservation investment over the next three years. That would be financing 18 of the co-managing partners over the next three years. That’s a… I mean, bar you acts of nature, direct investment that will be, the co-managers will be receiving over the next three years in the form of $13 million. So there are financing directed to these agencies. PACT has an extraordinary grant portfolio which supports other national initiatives including things like the Belize Music Festival. You would know that the intention of the Belize Music Festival is to raise financing to bring in visitors in our slow season. When we have more visitors then we have more investments we have more exit fees that comes into PACT. So those are the types of initiatives that we’re going to continue to support, our climate resilience initiatives that help to support the national development. The,  like I said, is to do some key things. One, ensure that there is better coordination in the system. We have to make sure that we even solidify their engagement in the co-management framework, right, the NGOs and co-managing partners. So what we’re trying to do is to look at the gaps in coordination, the gaps ensuring that there’s financial sustainability of the system and improve it because like I said there is a little bit of resources out there and we have to make sure that we’re impactful when we’re investing. When we think about enforcement for example, it’s a very expensive venture and so there are these co-managers spread across the country, right? And we want to see if we’re going to invest $100 in fuel how do we make sure that we get the most impact from that $100? This legislation is trying to coordinate and say, government, co-managers, you’re going to join together in order to improve how you do enforcement, who monitors, who engages.”

Dr. Williams says his ministry will work with the entity to iron out the concerns raised.