November 12, 2024
The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB, the Bank), in partnership with the Government of Belize and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), supported and participated in the inaugural Belize Procurement Week, a pioneering event intended to build the capacity of contractors in Belize to identify and respond to procurement opportunities on the Banks’ project.
The week involving events in Belize City, Placencia and Orange Walk, between November 4-8, 2024, was an essential milestone in private sector sensitisation and capacity-building efforts being jointly spearheaded by CDB and IDB. In his remarks, during the opening session, Mr. Douglas Fraser, the Bank’s Head of Procurement emphasised the importance of public procurement in supporting Belize’s development trajectory while underscoring the role of partnerships in achieving these objectives. “The Caribbean Development Bank commends the Government of Belize for promoting pro-active engagement with the private sector, which is essential for furthering transparency and competition, which are at the heart of any public procurement system.”
According to Ms. Rocio Medina Bolivar, the Country Manager of the Inter–American Development Bank Group in Belize, the events involved sharing a diverse range of opportunities with contractors under IDB and CDB projects. Also speaking at the event was Mr. Rey Guerrero, Director of Procurement at the Ministry of Finance, Belize. During the opening session, Mr. Guerrero lauded CDB and IDB for their support in the coordinating and executing of an impactful initiative. Adding that this and similar exercises reinforced all collaborating agencies’ commitment to supporting Belize in its quest for efficient and transparent procurement systems.
Belize Procurement week exposed contractors to the nuances and intricacies of the financial institutions’ procurement and processes and also sensitised them to the procurement requirements for projects financed by CDB and IDB being executed in conjunction with the government of Belize. The intention is to ensure increased awareness of opportunities for local bidders and increased value for money by the beneficiary government. The Government, CDB and IDB indicated that they intend to build on the success of the Procurement Week with a follow-up event for the private sector next year.