Today, Monday, 19th June 2023, Honourable Senators gathered in the National Assembly Chamber in Belmopan City for a Special Sitting of the Senate. The meeting began at 9:03 A.M. with the Belizean National Prayer offered by the Honourable, Senator Antonio Herrera.
Following Madam President’s comments, the Leader of Government Business, Senator Eamon Courtenay, introduced SEVEN (7) Bills as follows:
- General Revenue Supplementary Appropriation (2023/2024) (No. 1) Bill, 2023;
- Belize Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2023;
- Financial Intelligence Unit (Amendment) Bill, 2023;
- Insurance Bill, 2023;
- Civil Asset Recovery and Unexplained Wealth Bill, 2023;
- International Limited Liability Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2023; and
- Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
For this Special Sitting of the Senate, the following THREE (3) papers were ordered to lie on the table:
No. 67/1/14 – Annual Report of the Integrity Commission of Belize for the period 1st January 2020 to 31st December 2020.
No. 68/1/14 – Annual Report of the Integrity Commission of Belize for the period April 2022 to March 2023.
No. 69/1/14 – Supplementary Appropriation (No.1) Schedule for Fiscal Year 2023/2024.
Today, the following TWO (2) Motions were adopted by the Senate:
- Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) – Amendment No. 1 to Loan Agreements No. 1997, 2061, 2054, 2147 and 2295, Loan Amendment Motion, 2023; and
- Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) – Amendment No. 2 to Loan Agreement No. 025-106001, Loan Amendment Motion, 2023.
A total of NINE (9) Bills were passed by the Senate:
- General Revenue Supplementary Appropriation (2023/2024) (No. 1) Bill, 2023;
- Belize Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2023;
- Financial Intelligence Unit (Amendment) Bill, 2023;
- Insurance Bill, 2023;
- Civil Asset Recovery and Unexplained Wealth Bill, 2023;
- International Limited Liability Companies (Amendment) Bill, 2023;
- Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill, 2023;
- Lotteries Control (Amendment) Bill, 2023; and
- Extradition Bill, 2023.
As it relates to the passing of the Civil Asset Recovery and Unexplained Wealth Bill, 2023, a division was requested, resulting in majority of the Senators voting for the Bill to be passed for its second reading.
Of the NINE (9) Bills passed by the Senate today, the Lotteries Control (Amendment) Bill, 2023, and Extradition Bill, 2023, were the only two that were passed with amendments.
This then led to the meeting’s adjournment at 1:29 P.M.
For access to the Orders of the Day, please see the link below:
For access to the live broadcast, please see the link below: