The Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the
Government of Belize, (hereinafter referred to as “ the Parties
” ); desiring to strengthen their existing cordial relations
and to promote cooperation in the area of information and
communication technology (ICT); have agreed as follows:
Article 1 Objectives
The Parties recognize the importance of utilizing ICT to enhance
government efficiency, to improve people ’ s competitiveness
and to further advance national sustainable development. Under
this common understanding, the Parties will cooperate in ICT,
with the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) applying
its advanced ICT abilities to assist the Government of Belize in
promoting the level of digitalization and in establishing an
information society.
Article 2 Scope of Agreement
This Agreement establishes a basic framework within which the
Parties agree to cooperate in the field of ICT to achieve the
stated objectives. This Agreement also defines: the areas of
cooperation; the institutional aspects of the partnership; the
content of the project; a structure for future cooperation; and
general conditions that shall govern the projects under this
Agreement.
Article 3 Areas of Cooperation
The Parties have identified the following areas of cooperation
in ICT:
I. E-Government and E-Governance: The ICT cooperative projects
for the public sector shall be planned and implemented by
taking into consideration the needs of the Government of
Belize. Related policy consultation and assistance in
formulating corresponding laws and regulations will also be
provided.
II. ICT infrastructure development: Development of the
government ICT infrastructure shall be pursued according to the
ICT agenda of the Government of Belize and aligned with regional
development goals.
III. Digital capacity building, education and training: ICT
education and training related to the above-mentioned areas of
cooperation shall be conducted to improve the quality of human
resources.
Article 4 Project
The Parties shall commence their cooperation on the following
Project:
I. Project Content
i. Establishment of the Government Network Infrastructure
(hereinafter referred to as the "GovNet"):
ii. The GovNet shall be established within the country of
Belize, which shall include the complete planning and
installation of the networking solution and software
systems.
iii. Development and installation of application systems for the
departments and agencies of the Government of Belize: The
Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) shall
cooperate in developing and implementing application
software and systems.
iv. Establishment of a secure Government e-payment platform.
v. Cultivation of human resources:Necessary education and
training shall be provided according to the three items
mentioned in the project contents above.
The content of the Project shall be adjusted flexibly depending
on actual progress and disbursement of funds.
II. Executive Unit
The Project shall be carried out by the International
Cooperation and Development Fund (Taiwan ICDF) as commissioned
by the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and shall
be supervised by the Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan),
Belize City, Belize. The Government of Belize shall designate a
department as a supporting executive unit to facilitate the
progress of the various project tasks.
Article 5 Future Projects
I. Other than the Project outlined in this Agreement, the
Parties will discuss possible future cooperative projects by
means of non-scheduled dialogues at different levels.
II. Any subsequent agreement that is required for a future
project shall be done by an exchange of letters detailing
the project conditions and obligations of the Parties. The
terms concerning rights and obligations set out in this
Agreement shall apply to the said future projects.
Article 6 Obligations of the Parties
I. The Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) shall:
i. Dispatch long- and short-term experts and technicians with an
ICT background (hereinafter referred to as the “ Project
Personnel ” )to Belize to carry out the described
objectives;
ii. Defray the travel costs of the Project Personnel between the
Republic of China (Taiwan) and Belize;
iii. Cover the Project Personnel salaries and expenses during
their service in Belize;
iv. Pay the medical care expenses and insurance of the Project
Personnel during their service in Belize;
II. The Government of Belize shall:
i. Issue appropriate identification cards to the Project
Personnel to facilitate their work;
ii. Make emergency medical care and first aid readily available
to the Project Personnel; and
iii. Arrange for the human and material resources needed for the
project ’ s implementation.
Article 7 Exemption
The Government of Belize shall grant the following favorable
treatment during the implementation of projects under this
Agreement:
I. Exemption from customs duties, taxes and other charges on all
equipment, materials and supplies imported into Belize for
the projects.
II. Convenience for the Project Personnel ’ s entry to,
departure from, and stay in Belize during their service, and
exemption from customs duties, taxes and other charges on
their personal and household effects brought into Belize
within six months of first arrival for their own use.
III. Exemption from customs duties, taxes and other charges on
vehicles for the Project Personnel ’ s own personal use
(one vehicle per person), and exemption from all applicable
taxes in cases where the possession of vehicles is
transferred between Project Personnel.
IV. Exemption from income tax and other charges on the salaries
and allowances earned from abroad by the Project Personnel
for work related to the project during their service in
Belize.
V. Granting of privileges, exemptions and other treatment to the
Project Personnel and their properties no less favorable than
that accorded to personnel of other international missions
residing and performing similar activities in the territory
of Belize.
Article 8 Disposal of Project Income
The income generated from projects under this Agreement shall be
owned by the Government of Belize, and should be deposited and
monitored in a specific account approved by the Parties. The
handling of the account will be in compliance with the
management rules and regulations drawn up by the Parties. The
income generated from projects, apart from being used to
supplement existing projects, may be used flexibly for the
development of new projects as agreed by the Parties.
Article 9 Confidentiality
The personnel appointed by either party to participate in the
projects under this Agreement shall not disclose any information
relating to such projects without the prior written approval of
the other party.
Article 10 Restrictions on Use of Information
The dissemination and utilization of information, and management
and exercise of intellectual property rights, related to the
projects under this Agreement, shall be governed by separate
agreements.
Article 11 Notification
The Parties shall exchange contact lists in order that the
Parties can communicate on important matters and deliver
information with respect to this Agreement accordingly. Either
party shall inform the other party with a written notice in the
event that any changes to the list are made.
Article 12 Term and Extension
This Agreement shall enter into force on May 29, 2014 and remain
effective for another five years. The Parties shall review the
performance of the projects under this Agreement one year before
the Agreement expires to decide whether to extend the duration
of this Agreement pursuant to the results of the review. The
extension of this Agreement shall be done by the mutual written
consent of the Parties.
Article 13 Amendments
Any amendment or revision to this Agreement shall be done by the
mutual written consent of the Parties. Article 14 Termination
I. Either party may terminate this Agreement by giving 90 days
prior written notice to the other party; however, the Parties
shall attempt to reach an agreement on the termination date,
thereby allowing the smooth procession of the project
termination and the recall of the Project Personnel.
II. The confidentiality obligation of this Agreement shall not
become invalid following either the termination or expiry of
this Agreement.
Article 15 Other Provisions
All disputes arising out of or in connection with this
Agreement, or matters not being included in this Agreement,
shall be settled or negotiated by the Parties in good faith.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned, being duly authorized
thereto by their respective Governments, have signed this
Agreement.
Done in duplicate in the Chinese and English languages, both
texts being equally authentic, in Belize City on the
twenty-ninth day of the tenth month in the
one-hundred-and-second year of the Republic of China (Taiwan),
corresponding to the twenty-ninth day of October of the year two
thousand and thirteen of the Gregorian calendar.
For the Government of the For the Government of
Republic of China (Taiwan) Belize
DAVID C.K. WU JOSEPH WAIGHT
Ambassador to Belize Financial Secretary