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BELIZE - Accompanying Measures for Sugar protocol countries
Sector: Rural development
EU Contribution: € 46,000,000.00 (100% of total).
Description: Objective The overall objective is to reduce poverty and improve the living standards of the rural population in Northern Belize through support to the sugar industry and the vulnerable groups negatively affected by changes associated with the price reform. Description The reform of the EU Sugar Regime and the consequent reduction in price will force profound transformations aimed at fostering the competitiveness of the industry and where this is not possible seeking economic diversification opportunities. The European Commission has therefore announced an eight year aid scheme for Sugar Protocol Countries to assist in the transformation process. In June 2006 the Delegation and the Government of Belize discussed the EC support to the "Belize Country Adaptation Strategy for the Sugar Industry 2006-2013" and agreed on a "Multi Annual EC Assistance Strategy (MIP 2006-2013)". Under the AMS programme, Belize will be the primary recipient of some 45 million Euro for the period 2006-2010. The AMS programme objective is to contribute to poverty reduction and improving the standards of living and well-being of the communities living in Northern Belize Main expected results are: 1) To improve physical access, communication and transportation efficiency through the rehabilitation of the "Sugar Belt" road network. 2) To strengthen the competitiveness and economic sustainability of the Belize sugar industry. 3) To support an enabling environment for rural recovery and economic diversification in sugar dependant areas of Belize. Results Infrastructure Improvement: A list of priority road to be rehabilitated was agreed at Cabinet level in 2008. A pipeline of new works contracts has been established Altogether about 60 km of roads have been already completed. The tender for a new batch of roads (Phase II) to be financed from AMS 2007 and 2008 has been launched for the rehabilitation of an additional 50km of roads. As a result, the road conditions in a part of the sugar producing area in northern Belize have improved. Competitiveness: A number of important studies have been completed. A plan for the establishment of a cane-replanting fund has been agreed. Suppport for the operationalization of the Sugar Industry R&D Institute is on-going.
Location : Belize
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