Implied terms and conditions in a lease

Every lease of national land approved by the Minister shall be deemed to include the following terms and conditions– (a) the lease is granted subject to all powers, provisos and clauses contained in this Act; (b) precious metals, ores, gems, jewels, coal, timber and dyewood are strictly reserved and do not pass under this demise; 12 (c) the right of entry on the premises to search for, dig out, fell or cut (as the case may be), and remove any of the items specified under paragraph (b)is reserved to the Government of Belize; (d) if there is non-payment of rent at specified time, any disposition or transfer or subletting of the whole or any part of the land without written permission or non-observance of or non-compliance with any of the conditions herein contained or referred to, or specified in the lease, the Minister is authorised, by notice in the Gazette, to declare the lease forfeited, and thereupon the same shall cease and become null and void, to all intents and purposes, and the land may be entered upon by or on behalf of the Government of Belize, or by any person duly authorised so to do, and possession thereof may be resumed as the property of the Government of Belize and in such case the lessee shall have no claim to compensation for any improvement or outlay. (e) the lessee shall be taken to covenant, promise and agree with and to the Government of Belize well and truly to pay during the continuance of the lease the rent reserved, in yearly payments, in advance, unto the Accountant General for the time being; (f) the word “lessee” shall be read to include and be applicable to the lessee as well as the executors, administrators, and allowed assigns of such lessee as fully to all intents and purposes as if they had in every instance been specially mentioned; 13 (g) where a part or whole of the land approved to the lessee consists of steep or uneven terrain, such land shall not be utilised where there is a risk of erosion or ecological damage being caused to the land; (h) the lessee shall be taken to covenant with the Government of Belize or any other affected person to pay reasonable compensation in the event any damage is caused to the land by his willful act or gross negligence; (i) where land approved to the lessee is situate outside a city, town or village and adjoins any running stream, river or open water, a sixty six feet wide strip of land along such running stream, river or open water shall be left in its natural state unless otherwise approved by the Minister to be used in a specified manner.