Reba,

The post made by foreigner that the land goes to citizens is mis-leading.

First of all remember that a citizen can very well be a foreigner. A naturalized Belizean.

And yes, these foreigners/naturalized Belizean citizens do apply for and get land from our government, before some of our native people.

It is a crying shame.

They come from another country and deprive us of an opportunity to own land in our own country.

It is also true that some Belizeans use the opportunity to get free land from the GOB and then turn around and sell the land. This indeed is a decision they make. A very short-sighted one. However, perhaps it is difficult for them to think of tomorrow when they are struggling to get by today.

One of the primary reasons the Belizeans sell off the leases is because the lands given to them in the form of a lease is usually located in an undeveloped area. No infrastructure. No immediate signs of development.

The lease says that if you do not develope your lease land within 3 years, the GOB can take it away from you. Just the cost of accessing the land becomes an expensive endeavour, much less develope it.

Mind you, I am not here to make excuses for the selling of land by Belizeans. I am merely empathizing.

Sometimes I've been inspired to stand at the central park with a mega phone and campaign hard against the selling of Caye Caulker land. To encourage the locals to hold on to their land. Mortgage it if they have to. But do not sell it.

As difficult as it is to get land in Caye Caulker right now, it will become virtually impossible to get land in Caye Caulker in the next few years.

As it is, the land given out (leased) to it Belizean citizens is no longer free. You now have to pay a fairly handsome sum for the lease. In fact, the topic has been hotly debated for the past many months on the island and in the local & national papers.

Note also that a handsome sum is relative. To you and me, it may be a handsome sum. To the foreigner ($1.00 US = $2.00 BZ), especially the speculator it is a mere drop in the bucket of investment capital.

I've been trying to buy land in Caye Caulker for several years now and cannot seem to find anything affordable - unless it is 'bush' in an undeveloped area and still it is not cheap.

A 50' x 90' beach lot on the East side of the island starts at about $100,000.00 USA dollars. Which Belizean born native will be able to afford that? Certainly not a native from this island!

And they want to get paid in USA dollars too! Imagine! In this country where the Belizean dollar is the currency! Who do you think is going to buy the land? Yet more foreigners. Then they sit here and complain about the animosity between natives and foreigners.

It is a sad state of affairs.

[This message has been edited by Mermaid (edited 06-07-2002).]