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On Friday, the International Monetary Fund issued its concluding statement after their annual country visit. The Government of Belize has responded to the report saying the IMF has now confirmed what Prime Minister John Briceño has been saying for months regarding the financial legacy left by his predecessor Dean Barrow. The IMF reports that Belize […]
Written on March 15, 2021 | Posted in
Economy,
Regional / International |
Comments Off on Belize Response to IMF Report
Belize’s dire economic situation has been confirmed in a recent country review by the International Monetary Fund. The cheerless assessment substantiates what Prime Minister Briceño has been repeating all along, that Belize is broke and has been in a lengthy recession prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also confirms that the Barrow administration made use […]
Written on March 12, 2021 | Posted in
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Featured |
Comments Off on G.O.B. Responds to IMF’s Recent Country Review
Also in response to the IMF visit, the Prime Minister addressed concerns about Belize’s ability to make the super bond payment due in a few weeks. He appeared on Open Your Eyes on Thursday. Marleni Cuellar, Host, Open Your Eyes “There’s a payment due in a few months, in May. And clearly from all […]
Written on March 12, 2021 | Posted in
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Featured |
Comments Off on Is Belize Able to Make Super Bond Payment?
People may question what the relationship is like given how Espat left the party in 2012. Prime Minister John Briceño “As far as I am concerned, we can’t take these things personal, being upset with Mark. But we have a job to do; we have to see how we can get the people with […]
Written on March 12, 2021 | Posted in
Economy |
Comments Off on PM Answers Question about Mark Espat
One of the big stories for over a week now has been the response of the public service and teachers’ unions to the government’s proposed pay cuts and increment freeze. While there have been communications with the unions from the Financial Secretary Joseph Waight and the Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde as well as Education […]
Written on March 12, 2021 | Posted in
Economy |
Comments Off on What Happens If Unions Don’t Buy In to G.O.B.’s Proposal
Although it says it is monitoring the international increases in fuel prices, and safeguarding Belizean consumers, the Ministry of Finance is raising fuel prices yet again. The latest jump is for those of you who drive diesel vehicles. You will now have to pay fifty-three cents more beginning on Saturday. This increase to ten dollars […]
Written on March 12, 2021 | Posted in
Economy |
Comments Off on Diesel Price Increases
On Wednesday’s news, viewers saw teachers from Stann Creek join a motorcade to express displeasure at the government’s proposed salary cut and increment freeze for teachers and public officers for three years. What you may not know is at the same time on Wednesday in Belize City the council of management of the Belize National […]
Written on March 11, 2021 | Posted in
Economy,
Education,
Featured,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Teachers Riled Up; Want Apology from PM Briceño
On March fifteenth, the B.N.T.U. will issue a counterproposal to G.O.B., which is expected to be discussed in cabinet. But the firebrand union is monitoring the situation very closely and has developed a plan of action. The green B.N.T.U. T-shirts will be worn on days when teachers report to school. There will be a series […]
Written on March 11, 2021 | Posted in
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Education,
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People & Places |
Comments Off on Are Teachers Planning to Strike?
The members of law enforcement agencies are also recognised as public officers and so they too would be subject to the ten percent salary cut and increment freeze proposed by government. It has not been sitting well with officers at the Belize Police Department and so today, during a virtual interview with Commissioner of Police […]
Written on March 11, 2021 | Posted in
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Featured,
People & Places |
Comments Off on ComPol Says He’d Rather Take a Pay Cut over Retrenchment
Amid talks of a looming salary cut for teachers and public officers, the Public Service Union has proceeded to painstakingly calculate the losses that would be incurred by its membership at various levels over the three-year period in question. Their charts made the rounds on Facebook and WhatsApp today. According to Vice President Dean Flowers, […]
Written on March 11, 2021 | Posted in
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People & Places |
Comments Off on P.S.U. Calculates Its Losses over Three-year Period
Belize will not be signing on to an International Monetary Fund program to work our way out of the financial crunch brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s the decision taken by the Briceño administration, following a series of meetings with the IMF. It harkens back to a similar decision taken by the Musa administration […]
Written on March 11, 2021 | Posted in
Economy,
Featured |
Comments Off on No to IMF Programs for Economic Recovery
The Belize Water Services Limited says that customer arrears are piling up to a tune of over two million dollars, as a result of the economic crunch caused by COVID-19 unemployment and income loss. So now, B.W.S.L. wants to help you to help them by providing you with incentives to pay your water bills. It’s […]
Written on March 11, 2021 | Posted in
Economy,
People & Places |
Comments Off on BWS Launches Amnesty Program to Encourage Customers to Pay Their Bills
On Wednesday night, the organizers of Reef Week held a virtual panel discussion to talk about the Blue Economy. As you are aware, there is a new government ministry which includes the Blue Economy led by Minister Andre Perez. So, to talk about what the emerging concept constitutes, as well as the challenges and opportunities […]
Written on March 11, 2021 | Posted in
Economy,
Environment |
Comments Off on Barbados Shines a Light on the Blue Economy
Belize’s first Minister of the Blue Economy Andre Perez was also a presenter on the panel. Andre Perez, Minister of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation “Our message to our Belizean people is that it is important that we understand that despite the COVID-19 that we are going through right now it is even becoming […]
Written on March 11, 2021 | Posted in
Economy,
Environment |
Comments Off on Blue Economy Minister Speaks on Use of Resources for Economic Growth
This morning, educators from the south took to the streets of Dangriga in protest of a proposed salary cut for teachers and public officers. We’ll show you the turnout and what the membership of the Belize National Teachers Union has to say on government’s plan to shave their monthly wages by ten percent over the […]
Written on March 10, 2021 | Posted in
Economy,
Featured,
People & Places,
Politics |
Comments Off on PM Briceño Responds to Unions Salary Cut Objections
The idea of a salary cut, despite the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic on the local economy, seems to fly in the face of a recent campaign promise made by the People’s United Party. As part of its manifesto, the P.U.P. guaranteed an increase in the minimum wage, so how does the Prime Minister reconcile […]
Written on March 10, 2021 | Posted in
Economy,
Featured,
People & Places,
Politics |
Comments Off on Salary Cut Looms; Is G.O.B. Walking Back on Increasing Minimum Wage
The Belize National Teachers Union is still devising a national response to a proposed salary cut by the government for teachers and public officers. But that did not stop a number of teachers in the south from converging in the Culture Capital Dangriga. News Five’s reporter Duane Moody and cameraman Kenroy Michael were there to […]
Written on March 10, 2021 | Posted in
Economy,
Education,
Featured,
People & Places,
Politics |
Comments Off on Stann Creek Teachers Protest Against G.O.B.’s Proposed Salary Cut
The 2021 budget is two weeks away from being presented in the House of Representatives and the Briceño administration is still tying up loose ends ahead of its reading. It is anticipated that the financial plan for the fiscal year beginning April first will be lean as all efforts are geared towards economic recovery. PM […]
Written on March 10, 2021 | Posted in
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Featured,
People & Places,
Politics |
Comments Off on 2021 Budget Presentation on Horizon
No to any proposed salary cut. That was the firmly held position of the Belize National Teachers Union when the Barrow administration initially toyed with the idea of docking the wages of public officers in 2020, with the advent of the COVID pandemic. It is also the stance being taken against the Briceño administration, following […]
Written on March 9, 2021 | Posted in
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Education,
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People & Places |
Comments Off on B.N.T.U. Rejects the Idea of a Salary Cut
Just before heading into even more meetings with her union members today, Chief Magistrate Sharon Frazer, President of the Association of Public Service Senior Managers, spoke with News Five. She says during last week’s meeting with Financial Secretary Joe Waight and Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde, the Joint Unions suggested in their counter that salary […]
Written on March 9, 2021 | Posted in
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People & Places |
Comments Off on Would a Staggered Ten Percent Salary Cut Work?
The Amendment to the 2011 Central Bank Act passed in the Senate this morning after its second reading. Viewers will recall that last month, the Central Bank of Belize appointed a new chairman to head the board of directors, the returning former Governor Sydney Campbell. Just days later on March first, the amendment to the Central […]
Written on March 9, 2021 | Posted in
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Politics |
Comments Off on Amendment to the 2011 Central Bank Act is Passed in the Senate
According to Senator Eamon Courtenay, who represents both the People’s United Party and Government Business, any programs created would be for limited duration, with permission of the Minister of finance. According to Courtenay, clause sixty-six is not designed to assist any particular business or entity. Like Prime Minister Briceño, Senator Courtenay stressed the purpose of […]
Written on March 9, 2021 | Posted in
Economy,
Featured,
People & Places,
Politics |
Comments Off on New Law to Provide Liquidity to the System, Not to Aid Failing Company
Drivers of regular fuel, you might have thought you escaped recent fuel price hikes, but today the Ministry of Finance caught you too. On Wednesday, the pump price for regular will increase by twenty-five cents to ten dollars and six cents a gallon. Just a few days ago, premium gasoline was raised a whopping fifty-one […]
Written on March 9, 2021 | Posted in
Economy |
Comments Off on Regular Fuel Price Goes Up to $10.06
The Briceño administration continues to consult with stakeholders, including the business community, ahead of presenting a budget for the upcoming fiscal year. While government receives input from various corners for what will be a lean financial plan for 2021, it is also looking to realize savings of up to one hundred and eighty million dollars […]
Written on March 5, 2021 | Posted in
Economy,
Featured,
People & Places |
Comments Off on G.O.B. Intends to Save $240M from Salary Cuts in Three Years
According to Flowers, who is also the P.S.U.’s public relations officer, another freeze in increments and benefits would be the fourth. While the union understands the difficult financial bind that government finds itself in, Flowers maintains that increased revenue collection should be a primary option to realizing the monies that government so desperately needs. […]
Written on March 5, 2021 | Posted in
Economy,
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People & Places |
Comments Off on P.S.U. Says Increase Revenue Collection Instead of Cutting Wages
