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But in the US State Department's Fiscal Transparency Report for 2022 and 2023, they stated that Belize failed to, quote, "ensure the supreme audit institution audits the government's executed budget and makes audit reports publicly available within a reasonable period." End quote. We asked how they were able to reconcile these findings with the requirements for eligibility for the MCC grant.

Brian Nichols, Assistant Secretary, US State Dept.
"The MCC process, as you know, highlights the importance of transparency and it'll be something that is built into the process. The prime minister and, his team, reiterated their commitment to transparency and providing clear information. You know, I'll let him talk about how that process will work, but I'm confident that as the MCC process goes on, goes forward over the coming years, you'll see transparent reporting on results and on government operations. The crucial part of success, I think, for, any democracy is being able to demonstrate to its citizens that they're using resources well in a clear, transparent way that serves their interests."

Courtney Menzies:
"And you don't find that the lack of reports from the auditor general's office sort of negates that?"

Brian Nichols, Assistant Secretary, US State Dept.
"I think it's important for Belize's institutions to fulfill their roles. And obviously, the Auditor General has an important role here. I know that the Prime minister and Cabinet are focused on addressing the concerns that have been raised, but I would leave it to them to talk about how they're going to do that. It's an important piece for us. And those issues around transparency extend to every country. No country is perfect. And you can look at issues in any of the 30 plus countries in our hemisphere. Every country needs to focus on transparency and good governance. And it's not something that you can do once and check the box and say you're done. It's a continual process. And we look forward to partnering with Belize to help address those challenges."

"As this process goes on, we will have evaluate, against many metrics, how progress is going in terms of education, you know, the performance of students, the qualifications of teachers, the development of the physical plant. And similarly, energy is both an opportunity and a constraint to growth here. Belize should be a leader in renewable energies, and it also has opportunities because of its key location between Mexico and the Central American power grids to be a source for both grids and a bridge between those two grids. So there's a lot of exciting things that can be done."