Persistent and credible reports reaching our 7News tonight is that the National Environmental Appraisal Committee, NEAC, has unanimously voted no to the PBL/Waterloo Development Project at the Port of Belize.
As viewers are aware, the general public has had the benefit of 2 consecutive consultations with the technical experts representing the Port of Belize and Waterloo Investments Holding Limited: one on September First and the second, which happened thirteen days ago.
These private sector interests under the Ashcroft Alliance have floated a development proposal to the government to upgrade their cargo facility while also constructing a cruise tourism port that could offer the biggest cruise ships in the world shoreside berthing. That development is planned to be implemented at their Port Loyola compound in Belize City.
This afternoon, when the reports started flooding into our newsroom, we reached out to Dr. Kenrick Williams, who is the NEAC Chair and the CEO of the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Climate Change & Disaster Risk Management. We've made persistent phone calls and attempted to contact Dr. Williams via both WhatsApp and text message requests for comment and confirmation. Unfortunately, up until news time, we have been unable to reach him for comment, and when we contacted his ministerial boss, Orlando Habet, he told us that Williams had not updated him as yet on the outcome of the NEAC meeting.
We'll keep requesting information about this mega cruise development, which, as viewers have seen, is divisive and has generated a lot of public controversies.
