While there is optimism and a willingness by B.S.C.F.A. to compromise, there is also a real possibility that things won’t end favorably, as has been the case in the past where negotiations have collapsed midstream and both sides find themselves back at the starting point. If that should be the case, says Cansino, cooler heads […]
And our question for tonight is: Do you support a demonstration by cane farmers who have been unable to resolve their dispute with ASR/B.S.I.? Send your comments and responses using your SMART phones to 8686 or post your vote on our e-poll at channel5belize.com. You can also send an email with your comments to questions@channel5belize.com.
After a shaky start last week, the tourism high season is picking up. Last week, bad weather conditions caused the cancellation of a number of cruise ships triggering huge financial losses in head tax and millions of dollars in revenue to stakeholders. But the folks at the B.T.B. say that things are back on track […]
Last week’s cancellations caused by weather conditions, highlighted the desperate need for a docking facility. The Director of Cruise and Regional Operations for B.T.B. says they are looking at the long term options. The situation is complicated because the Feinstein group has plans to build one at Stake Bank, but the Fort Street Tourism Village […]
The quarterly press conference of the Statistical Institute of Belize was held today in Belize City. It’s a mixed bag of good and bad news. The good news is that employment numbers are on the rise as of September in the Belize District when the last labor force survey was conducted. The bad news is […]
Following an increase at the end of October, the prices for butane gas are going down tonight at depots across the country. According to a release, the Supplies Control Unit is reporting that effective midnight, the controlled price per hundred pound cylinder of liquid petroleum gas will decrease by six dollars across the board for […]
More than twenty booths were set up inside the Ramada Belize City Princess today where marketing students of the University of Belize showcased products and services they developed as part of their course curriculum. The displays were varied but they showed the creativity and ingenuity of the students. Duane Moody reports. Duane Moody, Reporting […]
A press conference was held this morning during which FECTAB officially announced that the forty eight inch regulation which prohibits persons less than four feet in height from enjoying caving activities has been put on hold. The tour operators now have until the end of December to work out the wrinkles of the regulation. While […]
Earlier in the newscast, COLA president Geovannie Brackett spoke on the need for a new cruise port for Belize District. He accuses the Fort Street Tourism Village of acting to hold the industry and the nation hostage because of their onerous deal for exclusivity as the port of entry, while belittling local operators in conjunction […]
The price of oil on the world market continues to drop, as it has been doing for some time. It’s been a source of confusion and consternation with consumers who have not seen pump prices drop in unison. When the price of oil rises, pump prices go up. So you’d expect the reverse to be […]
On Thursday, the Ministry of National Security hosted a press conference to speak on important security issues. But the hungry lot that the media is, we also wanted to know about those Petrocaribe funds which have been the subject of so much contention, controversy and even legal action. Prime Minister Barrow has told us what […]
Financial Secretary Joe Waight, who really is responsible for accounting for how the money is spent, supports the Prime Minister’s position. He says that not only will they release details on those projects shortly, but they are willing to put the list on their website for full accessibility and scrutiny. Joseph Waight, Financial Secretary […]
The Consumer Price Index for September 2014 has been released by the Statistical Institute of Belize. The CPI, as it is known, indicates a marginal increase from the same month last year. The inflation rate was point seven percent, while in the food category bread and cereals declined by one point two percent. Vegetables, in […]
Many Belizeans are heading across the border this extended holiday weekend, but the number of visitors to the jewel is on an upward trend. The Belize Tourism Board called a press conference this afternoon to report that going into the high season, arrivals in overnight and cruise visitors were up in the third quarter of […]
While tourism numbers are high the private sector is calling on the government to reduce local visitors to the Commercial Free-zone. The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry has written Prime Minister Dean Barrow asking that the Corozal Free Zone to discontinue local excursions into the shopping district during the Christmas season. Every year thousands […]
We have been reporting on a Belize billion dollar tax fraud scheme which was busted in September at the office of Titans Securities LLC here on Coney Drive. Five persons have been named including a Belizean but so far only two Bahamian stock brokers have been charged. But there is another allegation of tax fraud […]
Food prices, often one of the primary drivers of economic inflation, saw a marginal decline in the month of August, with average costs decreasing in all areas save for fish and seafood. That’s according to the latest release from the Statistical Institute of Belize indicating that inflation slowed to zero point nine percent last month. […]
A series of checks in various denominations were distributed this afternoon to small business owners who will use the financial assistance as venture capital and for the expansion of their businesses. They gathered at the Radisson where Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Trade and Economic Development Mike Singh was on hand, along with […]
The National Bank of Belize, the country’s sole government-owned lending institution, is celebrating a milestone achievement this week. Since opening its doors to the public on September second, 2013, the bank has been disbursing loans to first-time property holders, as well as small business owners at an incredibly low interest rate of five-point-five percent. Despite […]
On Wednesday, the Statistical Institute of Belize announced that there was significant economic growth in the second quarter of this year, as much as eight point seven percent. But we checked the stats and found out the following. In 2013, the GDP growth for the first quarter January to March was negative point five percent. […]
The Statistical Institute of Belize has released its latest economic figures corresponding to the second quarter of 2014. All be told, transportation shot up by ten percent while the basket of food went down slightly by point three percent. But there is concern over a continuous downward spiral in crude production, citrus and sugar. News […]
As we mentioned earlier in the newscast, sugar cane farmers in the north have been dealt a serious blow by Tate & Lyle when the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association was informed that the company would only be purchasing ten thousand tons of sugar. That decision adds to the already dismal figures for the industry […]
The Statistical Institute of Belize is reporting a five point seven percent increase in goods imported into Belize in the month of June. That represents one hundred and fifty nine million dollars more than the same period last year. Imports on items such as premium gasoline, milled rice, condensed milk and processed cheese contributed to […]
Today, the Belize Biltmore Plaza was the site of a very high-profile, high-powered economic forum, under the theme – Strengthening Partnership for Growth. It’s the third of its kind, an initiative to strengthen the collaboration between the public and private sectors in Belize. Industry stakeholders, big business operators, bankers, financial experts, entrepreneurs and government officials […]
The latest statistics on unemployment in Belize, released a few weeks ago by the Statistical Institute, shows an increase in joblessness in the districts. The only increase in employment was in Belize City, a result of the ongoing city infrastructure projects. The dialogue between the public and private sectors is focused on driving the economy […]
