Today, Minister of Tourism and Diaspora Relations, Anthony Mahler responded to a myriad of questions, beginning with the cabinet decision to reopen land borders on January first. Minister Mahler breaks down the protocols being put in place for Belizeans traveling to and from Mexico and Guatemala. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations […]
Back in mid October, Prime Minister John Briceño appeared on Channel Five’s Open Your Eyes, telling the hosts that if the COVID-19 numbers continued on a downward trend, the curfew hours would be pushed back. But more importantly for many waiting to go back to Mexico and Guatemala, the land borders might be re-opening in […]
As we reported on Wednesday, Belize has been named as a top tourist destination in the Latin America and Caribbean for 2021. Minister of Tourism Anthony Mahler today gave a forecast for tourism numbers moving forward. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations “We believe with the additional flights that we have coming […]
Among those plans is seeing Belize become a hub for regional airline carriers. Minister Mahler explains what that process is looking like and the need for reducing taxes for regional travelers from Central America. Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations “We believe that we can have Belize as a – I don’t […]
A donation of eight thousand dollars has been made to the Young Women’s Christian Association by the Lifeline Foundation. For over sixty-five years, Y.W.C.A. has been instrumental in assisting with the vocational and academic development of young girls, later expanding its services to provide daycare and early childhood education. When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in […]
The sugar crop season in Northern Belize is set to begin on Monday, but the farmers are still at odds with the sugar mill. Even more concerning for sugar cane farmers at this time; is the prospect that tens of thousands of tons of sugarcane could remain in the fields at the end of the […]
The Briceño Administration is also trying to spread the cheer of Christmas to public officers. Minister Orlando Habet confirmed that public officers will be getting a one hundred dollars Christmas bonus. And, while he admits it is not nearly enough to match what has been lost as a result of the ten percent pay, he […]
As we inch closer to Christmas, some area representatives have already mobilized their Christmas assistance machineries within their communities. Today, we asked Area Representative for Cayo North East about how he plans to bring a “Blu Christmas” to his constituents. Orlando Habet, Area Representative, Cayo North East “For my constituency, I think that we […]
Social Security contributions will increase in 2022, by one percentage point from nine to ten percent. But the wage ceiling is also going up four hundred and eighty dollars to five hundred and twenty. According to the Social Security Board, these increases were deferred in 2019, but have been approved by Cabinet now. S.S.B. says […]
The Latin American Summit 2022 or LATAM, as it is otherwise known, will take place on January twenty-sixth and will run through to the twenty-ninth in Cancun, Mexico. The summit is a regional meeting with as many as fourteen countries being represented in public and private sectors. This afternoon at the Mexican Embassy in Belmopan, […]
It was a historic day on Friday, as the National Bank of Belize launched its very own digital wallet. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, technological advancement and the ease of doing business would see businesses and individuals moving to paperless transactions. Well earlier today, another pay app was made available to the thousands of clients […]
Two weeks ago the Leader of the Opposition, Patrick Faber asked the Ministry of Infrastructure Development to make public the details of the contracts and scope of road works to rehabilitate roads damaged by Hurricanes Etta and Iota. These hurricanes affected not only Central America, but dumped significant amounts of rain over Belize, causing one […]
‘Tis the season for increased air travel and visitors from the U.S. or Belizeans heading north now have yet another option. Frontier Airlines arrived in Belize for the first time this weekend. News Five’s Marion Ali was at the P.G.I.A. to greet the new arrivals and found out more about the new routes. Marion […]
On Thursday, the attorney for Waterloo Investment Holdings, Belize Cruise Development Limited, and Belize Logistics Terminal Limited applied to the Supreme Court to join as an interested party to the ongoing case for judicial review by Stake Bank Enterprise against the Attorney General, NEAC & DOE. Other cruise developer Port Magical/ Portico enterprises is already […]
While our News Five team was in La Isla Bonita, San Pedro today we decided to check in with Mayor Wally Nunez as the island town was buzzing with tourism activity. While the numbers are not as high as they were in 2019, the mayor says the prime tourist destination is rebounding. Wally Nunez, […]
When Mayor Wally Nunez took over at the San Pedro Town Council earlier this year, it wasn’t without controversy. The accounts were dried up and the financial state of council was grim, with debts in the hundreds of thousands. Some employees were terminated, but as the mayor’s strategic plan took shape, the revenue stream started […]
The country’s economy continues to show signs of continued recovery and growth, according to leaders in Government. At last Friday’s House Meeting, Prime Minister John Briceno said that even in the third quarter of the year, when it’s the slow season for key sectors, our economy grew, though he cautioned that there are still tough […]
The Kolbe Foundation was first contracted to manage the Belize Central Prison since August of 2002. It has been managed by that institution since then. It costs, roughly, nineteen dollars and fifty cents per day, by Prison estimates, to house a prisoner. This converts to an average per year of eight point four million dollars […]
Also rising to oppose the latest Supplementary Appropriation Bill was Senator for the National Trade Union Congress of Belize, Elena Smith. Smith, a public figure who has been at the forefront of the Joint Union’s resistance to Government pay cuts, took issue with new personal emoluments when so many had to sacrifice ten percent of […]
At last Friday’s House Sitting in Belmopan, Prime Minister John Briceno rose to seek authorization for additional supplementary appropriations for the 2021-2022 fiscal year in several different areas that need prioritization. Prime Minister John Briceno “From recurrent and domestically-sourced Capital II Expenditures, we ramped up our social safety net efforts to almost six million […]
As we head into the Christmas season, one of the concerns that shoppers have raised is the issue of price gouging. This is a problem that is separate from the increase in shipping prices that have caused cost of living to shoot sky high. But, Minister Abelardo Mai, who holds the portfolio for Food Security, […]
Tonight on COVID Chronicles, we focus on the Chinese community and how many businesses have either been forced to adapt to new measures in order to stay afloat or shuttered under the weight of the pandemic. We speak with popular restaurateur Lee Mark Chang and Chinese Association President Johnston Ou for a perspective on business, […]
The New River will be receiving some relief from B.S.I.’s sugar mill by way of its newly commissioned cooling tower. The nine million dollar investment seeks to add an additional layer of cooling for the water being reintroduced into the New River after use. Today, reporters were invited to Tower Hill in Orange Walk to […]
Banking just got easier for businesses and residents in South Stann Creek with the launch of a new Belize Bank branch in Independence. For many years, the bank has extended services to the two main industries in that district, but not until now has it established a physical location in that community. A new office […]
Prime Minister John Briceño, Minister of State Christopher Coye and Chief Executive Officer Narda Garcia met with the executive of the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Wednesday at the P.M.’s office here in Belize City. The sit-down covered a range of issues, including the reopening of Belize’s land borders. The Briceño administration has […]
