The Land Utilization (Lake Independence Special Development Area) Regulations establishes a special development area in the Lake Independence area in Belize City. The Regulations allows for development projects that are in the following areas: (i) Residential, (ii) Commercial; (iii) Commercial Office; (iv) Transportation/Retail/Office; (v) Hotels, Extended Stay, Conventions, and Retail; Civic, Cultural, Institutions; or Commercial Retail.

Fundamentally, the project is designed in such a way that the private sector would be able to submit development projects that could serve to boost the socio-economic standing of the designated area. Particularly, of the development area’s two zones (Zones A and B), the private-sector proposals are reserved for Zone B, while the government maintains closer control over the projects that occur under Zone A.

The difference in purposes for both Zones are reflected in the responsibilities assigned to the Management Authority that governs the Lake Independence Project (LIP). As elucidated in Section 5 (1) of the Regulations, the Management Authority’s duties in terms of Zone A are, inter alia, to

(a) define sub-projects;

(b) to prepare preliminary development plans for public and private partner procurement of a subproject, including the preparation of a business case in tandem with any government department, as the Management Authority deems necessary;

(c) to execute and manage any national or international procurement process for a sub project; and

(d) to monitor the execution of sub projects.

Conversely, the Management Authority’s responsibilities regarding Zone B, as stated by Section 5(2) of the Regulation is to “approve all sub-divisions, to ensure compliance with the LIP Design Guidelines, prior to making an application to the [Land Subdivision and Utilization Authority]. “

The general composition and functions of the Management Authority are further elaborated under Section 4 of the Statutory Instrument (No. 49 of 2019). In terms of composition, Management Authority shall be made up of the members of the Board of Directors of the Belize Infrastructure Limited (BIL), the General Manager of BIL, and “any other member as appointed by the Minister [responsible for Land]”.

The entire initiative is empowered by the section 19(1)(d) of the Land Utilization Act that authorizes the Minister to “demarcate specific areas as special development areas and to stipulate the type of development that will be permitted within those areas.”