TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s International Cooperation and Development Fund has signed an agreement with the Inter-American Development Bank to promote employment in its ally Belize, reports said Wednesday.
Fund Secretary-General Huang Yu-lin (黃玉霖) signed the accord with Belize Prime Minister John Briceno at his office Monday, per CNA. The document will lead to Taiwanese assistance for loans to strengthen the country’s labor participation and employment services system.
The same day, Taiwan and Belize also signed an agreement on loans to widen and improve the Philip Goldson Highway linking Belize City to the Mexican border. According to Briceno, the accords will continue the close partnership between his country and the fund.
Despite rapid improvements after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses in Belize are still facing labor shortages, the fund said. Sectors including tourism, the green economy, ICT, and outsourcing are still suffering, causing problems for the country’s long-term development plans.
The joint plan with the Inter-American Development Bank will improve the skills of 2,360 people, with digital know-how and business requirements as key elements, the fund said.
