By Breaking Belize News Staff: Opposition parliamentarian Lee Mark Chang has raised concerns about the estimated BZ$74.4 million cost of upgrading the Hattieville–La Democracia section of the George Price Highway, questioning why the project appears significantly more expensive than earlier estimates and demanding that government disclose which contractor will receive the multimillion-dollar construction contract.
Speaking during today’s House sitting, Chang criticized the government’s proposed US$30 million loan from the OPEC Fund for International Development, arguing that Belizeans deserve greater transparency about the cost of the project, the tendering process and the country’s continued borrowing.
Chang said he supports improvements to roads, bridges and drainage infrastructure but believes the government must demonstrate that taxpayers are receiving value for money.
He identified three central questions surrounding the project: whether the construction price is reasonable, who will receive the contract and whether Belize can afford to continue borrowing at its current pace.
The opposition member pointed to an apparent increase in the project’s estimated cost since the Prime Minister’s March 2026 budget presentation.
According to Chang, the government had previously estimated the Hattieville–La Democracia works at approximately BZ$60 million, while the OPEC Fund’s published project information now places the overall cost at US$37.2 million, equivalent to BZ$74.4 million.
That represents an apparent increase of BZ$14.4 million, or approximately 24%.
Chang questioned what had changed between March and November to account for the difference.
He asked whether the road had been widened, whether additional drainage or bridge works had been included, whether construction materials had become more expensive or whether the original estimate had been incomplete.
The opposition member also compared the estimated cost of the Hattieville–La Democracia section with other portions of the George Price Highway currently being upgraded.
He questioned why the middle section, measuring approximately 14.7 miles, appeared to cost substantially more per mile than the La Democracia–Belmopan section.
Chang acknowledged that different sections of the highway may require different engineering works, including bridges, drainage systems and flood mitigation measures, but insisted that government should provide comparable construction cost figures for all three sections.
He specifically questioned the cost of replacing the Colonel English Bridge and how much of the overall project budget would be allocated to pavement reconstruction, drainage, engineering, supervision and other expenses.
Chang also raised questions about the condition of the existing highway, arguing that some sections could potentially benefit from maintenance rather than complete reconstruction.
He said portions of the road appeared to be in reasonably good condition and questioned whether all the proposed works were necessary at this time.
However, Chang stressed that he was not suggesting road safety should be compromised to reduce expenditure.
Another major concern involved the procurement process.
Chang demanded to know whether a construction contract had already been awarded, the identity of the successful contractor and how many companies had participated in the bidding process.
He also questioned whether the winning bidder, if one had already been selected, was the lowest qualified bidder and whether the government would disclose the beneficial ownership of the company receiving the contract.
The opposition member called for publication of the tender evaluation, engineering estimates, signed contracts and any subsequent variation orders.
He also asked who would independently supervise the construction, certify the quality of the work and authorize additional payments if the project exceeded its original budget.
Chang further questioned how the government intends to finance the difference between the BZ$74.4 million total project cost and the BZ$60 million being borrowed from the OPEC Fund.
The financing gap amounts to approximately BZ$14.4 million.
He asked whether that money would come from government revenue, existing budget allocations or additional borrowing.
The opposition member also expressed concern about the financing terms, noting that one US$15 million loan carries a fixed interest rate of 2.25%, while the other carries a variable rate based on SOFR plus 1.6 percentage points.
Although he acknowledged that the fixed interest rate was attractive compared with commercial lending rates in Belize, Chang warned that variable-rate borrowing exposes taxpayers to future increases in international interest rates.
He pointed to the government’s existing public debt, which he said stood at approximately BZ$4.6 billion, and questioned whether the national debt could approach BZ$5 billion by the next budget presentation.
Chang also cited projected debt-servicing costs of approximately BZ$329 million for the 2026–2027 fiscal year, including principal and interest payments.
He questioned whether additional borrowing for infrastructure should be prioritized while families are struggling with food, fuel, electricity and other household expenses.
The opposition member suggested that government should have introduced its recently announced cost-of-living relief measures earlier rather than shortly before the upcoming municipal elections.
Chang concluded by calling on Prime Minister John Briceño to provide a detailed accounting of the highway project’s cost, the contractor selection process and the government’s financial commitments.
He maintained that supporting infrastructure development should not require parliamentarians to approve borrowing without sufficient information about how public funds will be spent.
The post Lee Mark Chang questions $74.4 million highway project cost, demands to know who will get construction contract appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: Opposition parliamentarian Lee Mark Chang has raised concerns about the estimated BZ$74.4 million cost of upgrading the Hattieville–La Democracia section of the George Price Highway, questioning why the project appears significantly more expensive than earlier estimates and demanding that government disclose which contractor will receive the multimillion-dollar construction contract. Speaking
The post Lee Mark Chang questions $74.4 million highway project cost, demands to know who will get construction contract appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
