Monday, 12th May 2025, Honourable Members gathered in the Chambers of the National Assembly Building in Belmopan for the First Business Sitting of the House of Representatives. The meeting began at 10:19 A.M. with the Belizean National Prayer offered by Mrs. Margaret McGann.

Oath of Allegiance of a new Member was administered to the Honourable Florencio Marin Jr. since he was not present at the Inaugural Sitting on Friday, 9th May 2025.

Following the Announcement from the Speaker pursuant to Standing Order 73 of the House, he has selected the following Members to serve on the Committee of Selection:

Hon. Marconi Leal Jr – Chairperson

Hon. Anthony Mahler

Hon. Orlando Habet

Hon. Dr. Osmond Martinez

Hon. Tracy Panton

Hon. Hugo Patt

These Members were tasked to select names of Members to serve on the list of the fourteen (14) Standing Committees of the House of Representatives. Following that meeting a report was presented to the House and ordered to be lied on the Table. 

No. HR 01/1/14    –     Report from the Committee of Selection on the Appointment of Members to the Standing Committees of the House of Representatives.

ONE (1) Paper was presented and was referred to the Committee of Supply for examination, consideration and Report:

No. HR1/1/14     –        Draft Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for Fiscal Year 2025/2026. 

Under the Item – Introduction of Bills A total of EIGHT (8) Bills were listed on the Agenda for introduction at the Meeting but one was deferred until a later date. The following Members introduced the bills mentioned below:

  • The Honourable John Briceño, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Investment, Economic Transformation, Civil Aviation, and E-Governance; 
  • Honourable Francis Fonseca Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, and Immigration; 
  • Honourable Julius Espat Minister of Infrastructure, Development, and Housing; 
  • Honourable Thea Garcia-Ramirez Minister of Human Development, Family Support and Gender Affairs; and 
  • Honourable Louis Zabaneh Minister of Indigenous, Constitutional and Religious Affairs, and Transportation:

 

  1. General Revenue Appropriation (2025/2026) Bill, 2025;

 

The main highlight of the Special Sitting was the Presentation of the Budget by the Honourable Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Investment, Economic Transformation, Civil Aviation, and E-Governance

 

Kindly see link for the budget speech: https://www.nationalassembly.gov.bz/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/PM-Budget-Speech-Fiscal-Year-2025-2026.pdf

 

  1. Customs and Excise Duties (Amendment) Bill, 2025; 
  1. Gaming and Lotteries Control Bill, 2025; (DEFERRED) 
  1. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Bill, 2025; 
  1. Magistrate Court Bill, 2025; 
  1. Belize Building (Amendment) Bill, 2025; 
  1. Families Bill, 2025; and 
  1. People’s Constitution Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2025. 

 

From the total of EIGHT (8) bills, SEVEN (7) were introduced and ONE (1) was deferred.

There was a total of FIVE (5) Motions introduced at the Sitting, respectively:

  1. The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development – George Price Highway Project – (Belmopan to La Democracia Section USD$13 Million) Loan Motion, 2025. 
  1. Inter-American Development Bank – Third General Capital Increase in Authorized Capital Stock of the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IDB Invest) – Subscription Motion, 2025. 
  1. Subscription to Multilateral Investment Fund IV – Inter-American Development Bank – Subscription Motion, 2025. 
  1. Official Charities Fund Motion, 2025. 
  1. Establishment of the National Assembly Staff Committee Motion, 2025. 

 

The Sitting was briefly suspended to allow the Committee of Selection and the Committee of the Finance and Economic Development Committee to conduct its business. After resuming, the following Reports were presented and ordered to be laid on the Table:

  1. HR 01/1/14 –      Report from the Committee of Selection on the Appointment of Members to the Standing Committees of the House of Representatives. 
  1. HR 3/1/14 –        Report from the Finance and Economic Development Committee on the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development – George Price Highway Project – (Belmopan to La Democracia Section USD$13 Million) Loan Motion, 2025. (PASSED) 

 

After a debate, ONE (1) Motion introduced was passed, namely:

  1. The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development – George Price Highway Project – (Belmopan to La Democracia Section USD$13 Million) Loan Motion, 2025.

 

FOUR (4) of the Motions introduced were referred to their respective standing committee, namely:

  1. Inter-American Development Bank – Third General Capital Increase in Authorized Capital Stock of the Inter-American Investment Corporation (IDB Invest) – Subscription Motion, 2025. 
  1. Subscription to Multilateral Investment Fund IV – Inter-American Development Bank – Subscription Motion, 2025. 
  1. Official Charities Fund Motion, 2025. 
  1. Establishment of the National Assembly Staff Committee Motion, 2025. 

 

Of the EIGHT (8) Bills on the agenda, only ONE (1) was deferred, and SEVEN (7) were introduced and referred to Committees specifically and respectively:

  1. Gaming and Lotteries Control Bill, 2025; (DEFERRED) 
  1. General Revenue Appropriation (2025/2026) Bill, 2025; 
  1. Customs and Excise Duties (Amendment) Bill, 2025; 
  1. Insolvency and Bankruptcy Bill, 2025; 
  1. Magistrate Court Bill, 2025; 
  1. Belize Building (Amendment) Bill, 2025; 
  1. Families Bill, 2025; and 
  1. People’s Constitution Commission (Amendment) Bill, 2025 

 

This encapsulates the events of this Special Sitting of the House of Representatives with the meeting adjourning at 3:50 P.M. 

For further information on the Orders of the Day, please see the links below:

HOR Orders of the Day 2025

For access to the Draft Bills introduced, please see the link below:

Draft Bills 2025

 

For access to the broadcast of the Sitting, kindly see the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_nqgoRHBGU