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The reinstatement of the full salary for public servants and teachers comes as good news. Across the country, these workers have worked through the current fiscal year on a ten percent pay cut. On Monday, Prime Minister John Briceño announced that the ten percent will be reinstated in the upcoming fiscal year. We asked Andre […]
Written on March 1, 2022 | Posted in
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This afternoon, as the heads of government from the Caribbean begin arriving on San Pedro, CARICOM Secretary General Dr. Carla Barnett, held a Zoom meeting to share what is to be expected during the two day Inter-sessional. Among the issues to be discussed is how member states can begin realizing the single market and economy […]
Written on February 28, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on CARICOM Heads to Look to Move Caribbean Single Market and Economy Forward
To address the sharp decline in revenues and the resulting increase in pandemic-related expenses, the Briceño administration presented a Medium-Term Recovery Plan at the start of the fiscal calendar in April 2021. The objective is to reduce the crushing public debt to eighty-five percent of G.D.P. by 2025 and to seventy percent by 2030 which […]
Written on February 25, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Belize and the IMF; Favorable Review for Briceño Administration
Heads of Government will also address growing concerns over the leadership and humanitarian crisis in Haiti. According to Dr. Barnett, leaders will speak with Haitian representatives to further understand how the Caribbean Community can offer greater support towards the stabilization of Haiti and its people. And then there is the issue of the Caribbean Single […]
Written on February 25, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Implementation Of Single Common Market on Table for CARICOM Intercessional
With what’s happening in Europe, it is anticipated that prices at the fuel pumps will increase even more. As it currently stands, regular gas is being sold at thirteen dollars. According to Prime Minister John Briceño, diesel would have increased by over a dollar, but that G.O.B. will absorb that cost at this time. But […]
Written on February 24, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on G.O.B. to Absorb Increase in Diesel Price
On Tuesday, Senior Counsel Godfrey Smith, via Marine Parade Law Chambers, applied for an urgent injunction to halt the payment of one point five million dollars to the Christian Workers Union. The compensation is the result of a recent memorandum of understanding between the Government of Belize and the C.W.U. on behalf of stevedores who […]
Written on February 23, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on PM Briceño Talks CWU, Port of Belize and its Injunction Application
We also sought comment from Dean Flowers, the President of the Public Service Union, a sister union of the Christian Workers Union (CWU). In his remarks, Flowers registered his personal dissatisfaction with the actions of these private companies, while calling on the government to offer legal support to C.W.U. as is being done for the […]
Written on February 23, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on PSU Pres Says PM Needs to Support Stevedores, Not Just Cane Farmers
The Joint Unions Negotiating Team met with its government counterparts today to discuss the state of the nation’s finances and the reinstatement of the ten percent salary cut for public officers and teachers. The meeting was held at the House of Culture in Belize City and ran for four hours. At its conclusion, we were […]
Written on February 23, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Joint Unions Meet With GOB: “There is a Way Forward”
The Prime Minister and his team of financial advisors met with the International Monetary Fund on Tuesday to discuss Belize’s economic standing. While the I.M.F. looks favorably at the Briceño administration’s success in turning around Belize’s economic outlook, the ten percent salary cut which teachers and public officers received last year persists. According to P.M. […]
Written on February 23, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on PM Briceño Meets with IMF, Belize Receives Favorable Reviews
Consumer Prices are up again, in fact they rose by four percent in January. According to the Statistical Institute of Belize the increases were seen in fuel, food, L.P.G., restaurants and even cleaning supplies. Belizeans paid more for basic goods last month when compared to January of 2021. Significant increases were recorded in products such […]
Written on February 23, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Consumer Prices Up Again; Highest Prices in Orange Walk Town
The fourth quarter of 2021 saw growth for Belize’s economy. According to S.I.B’s statistics, the economy grew by four point one percent or eighty four million dollars. This is compared to the fourth quarter in 2020 at the height of the COVID19 pandemic. In the fourth quarter of 2020, G.D.P. dipped by more than sixteen […]
Written on February 23, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Tourism Rebound Helping Economy
Notably, the secondary sector, which includes electricity and water generation, construction, and mining, saw a fall in production for the fourth quarter of 2021. Overall production decreased from a volume valued at ninety million dollars to seventy three million dollars in production. That is a nineteen percent decline. An, S.I.B says it is as a […]
Written on February 23, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Electricity Production Down Compared to 2020
The Belize City Council is owed twenty-one million dollars in property taxes. According to the Mayor, at the peak of COVID, the Council was forced to acknowledge the hardships faced by many residents who were losing their jobs and income. Now, with this shortfall in tax collections, the council is not able to fully carry […]
Written on February 22, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on $21M in Property Taxes Outstanding in Belize City
As the next fiscal year for G.O.B. is quickly approaching, the presentation of the budget is already underway. For the last two years, a high percentage has been pumped into the COVID response for the country. While we were with PM John Briceño this afternoon, News Five asked what is the 2022-2023 Budget looking like. […]
Written on February 21, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on 2022 Budget Preview: Focus on Infrastructure & Education
Ahead of COP26 last year, Belize was able to submit its updated national determined contributions, as did many other countries. But to carry out projects that would reduce carbon emissions to meet the N.D.C. goals is costly. Now, Belize has been accessing climate finance for some time now which has helped with projects over the […]
Written on February 17, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Accessing Climate Finance for Projects
Drivers have been clamouring about the increase in fuel prices at the pumps which since November of 2020 have gone up by more than three dollars across the board. We are not sure if there was some breakdown in communication at the Government Press Office, but overnight, there was an increase in premium gas and […]
Written on February 16, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on No Relief as Gas Prices Go Higher
A new project was launched today for climate resilience in the coastal zone and fisheries. The Ministry of Economic Development, Green Climate Fund, Climate Finance Unit and the Ministry of Blue Economy are all part of the steering committee that met virtually. The goal is to increase resilience in the face of rising temperatures and […]
Written on February 16, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on New Climate Resilience Project for Coastal Areas and Fisheries
The delegation from the Caribbean Development Bank has concluded its visit to Belize. The group headed by President, Dr. Gene Leon, met with the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Central Bank of Belize, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Citrus Growers Association. Sessions were also held with agencies executing projects having C.D.B. […]
Written on February 15, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on C.D.B. Delegation Wraps up Visit to Belize
This morning in Belmopan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade hosted the launch of a trade program funded by the Caribbean Development Bank. The event was part of an official visit by C.D.B. president, Dr. Gene Leon. With three million Belize dollars in funding under this initiative, those monies will go towards helping […]
Written on February 10, 2022 | Posted in
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The Senate also debated an over seventy million dollar supplementary budget brought to the National Assembly by Prime Minister John Briceño at the last sitting of the House. It is the third supplementary budget brought before the upper chamber since October of 2021. Eamon Courtenay, Senator for Government Business, took the lead in the debate. […]
Written on February 9, 2022 | Posted in
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Lead Senator for the Opposition, Michael Peyrefitte, criticized the Briceño Administration for presenting a third supplementary budget in less than five months. Peyrefitte accused G.O.B. of lacking the creativity and ideas needed to rebuild the economy. He also alleged this supplementary budget is “one last hustle before the next budget is read.” Michael Peyrefitte, […]
Written on February 9, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Senator Peyrefitte Criticizes Supplemental Budget Items
Senator Peyrefitte went on to question the purpose of the fifteen million dollars being allocated to the Ministry of Health and Wellness. Additionally, he lambasted the Briceño Administration for asking the National Assembly to approve some two hundred thousand dollars for upgrades to the Prime Minister’s office, in a period of national economic constraints. […]
Written on February 9, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Peyrefitte Blasts Prime Minister Office Updates
Elena Smith, Senator for the National Trade Union Congress of Belize, also weighed in on the financial debate. Smith took issue with the personal emoluments that are listed, as well as the monies being allocated to refurbish the office of the Prime Minister. Smith says teachers and public servants are suffering and gas prices are […]
Written on February 9, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Senator Smith Says Public Officers Punishing While PM Gets New Furniture
Tourism stakeholders may be interested to know that the tourism master plan is getting an update. Isani Cayetano was at the signing of a memorandum of understanding today between the B.T.B. and the University of Belize. Isani Cayetano, Reporting The National Sustainable Tourism Master Plan was endorsed by Cabinet a little over eleven years […]
Written on February 9, 2022 | Posted in
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Regional / International |
Comments Off on Updating Belize’s National Tourism Master Plan
Belize’s land borders were reopened on February seventh. Since then, there has been a steady trickle of travelers crossing over into Mexico and Guatemala. But there are still a few setbacks to address in the days ahead, particularly where it concerns testing requirements for persons re-entering the country. It takes a concerted effort for government […]
Written on February 9, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Ministry of Tourism Discusses Borders Reopening
