When most developers in Belize City want to build they get some lightweight
clearance and just start going up. It is a fact that buildings have been erected
without any consideration for public health and safety much less in conformity
with the building standards. Now, standards and codes are being established
for the entire Caribbean and Belize is no exception to that initiative. Since
the office of the Central Building Authority was established in March of 2009,
the CBA, as it’s called, has been meeting to control building operations
and eliminate the construction of sub standard housing. Today, 7News caught
up with CBA’s Director Paul Satchwell at one such meeting and according
to him of greatest concern to them is the adherence to the policies established
by the Central Building Authority.
Paul Satchwell, Director – Central Building Authority
“The first you hear is that the poor people can’t afford it.
Unfortunately what we are seeing is that the poor people are being affected
the most. They are getting substandard houses, they are getting substandard
buildings and at the end of the day they invest time and money and they have
no recourse once that money is gone because the proper policies were not followed,
they did not get a good building, and they are just left without the money and
still don’t have a proper building.
It affects everybody but what we are trying to establish or enhance, bring
out, is that even for the government, if we get construction done to a higher
standard, in times of disaster their responsibility will be less and therefore
the financial expense will be less as well.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
“So the whole idea behind the meeting is to get everybody on the same
sheet of music?”
Paul Satchwell,
“That is correct.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
“There is uniformity?”
Paul Satchwell,
“We are trying to get the uniformity across the board because it is
supposed to be that whatever is required in Punta Gorda is required in Corozal.
There should be no different fees, no different standards.”
Jacqueline Godwin,
“So Paul if the standards have been in place for quite some time now,
how come people in the local building authorities, those who are charged with
the responsibility of constructing buildings have been left on their own to
do what they please and do not conform to the standards that have been established?”
Paul Satchwell,
“Well this is one of the responsibilities of the Central Building
Authority, to try to ensure that that comes to an end. There are obvious social
and political implications, so we don’t want to just come out and ram
it down anybody’s throat. It is we believe more in trying to educate rather
than police; try to get everybody to see what are the benefits, why is it important
that we have this rather than just come out and say do this, do this and break
down whatever you don’t do properly.”
According to Satchwell there is progress following every gathering
that is held and he expects the same at the conclusion of today’s meeting
which is the third of its kind. CBA is optimistic that eventually everybody
in the business of construction will be onboard.
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