Despite all the economic assistance provided to Belize by the government of Taiwan, there has been relatively little real investment by the Taiwanese private sector. One exception to that trend has been the Tao San shrimp farm near Dangriga. On Wednesday, as the company prepared to export its first harvest, Minister of Agriculture Dan Silva […]
With over 30,000 members it may be the biggest organisation in Belize. It’s also one of the richest. Last night the Holy Redeemer Credit Union closed the books on yet another year of successful operations. Janelle Chanona, Reporting At the 56th Annual General Meeting of the Holy Redeemer Credit Union, close to 1,800 members turned […]
When it first came on the scene some three decades ago its was referred to as “the piggy bank”, due to it’s diminutive size when compared to the foreign branches of giants like Barclays, Scotia and The Royal Bank of Canada. But today Atlantic Bank is thriving. An announcement from manager Sandra Bedran indicates that […]
The buzz among people in the tourism industry was that Belize was having a pretty good season, and if you’ve tried lately to buy a ticket on a flight to the States you know that somebody is filling all those airplane seats. Today the Belize Tourism Board confirmed that intuition and announced an unprecedented increase […]
In other economic news, Fortis, the Canadian company which purchased majority ownership in Belize Electricity Limited, has increased its stake in the Cayman Islands power industry. Fortis enlarged its holdings from 16.8 to 20% of Caribbean Utilities Company Limited. C.U.C. is the sole provider of electricity to the island of Grand Cayman. Fortis also owns […]
From its inception, the Belize Business Bureau has positioned itself as the champion of local manufacturers. Today, in announcing the award of its Entrepreneur of the Year for 1999, the B.B.B. has remained true to that reputation. This year’s winner is Omar Gongora. His company, Chemical Specialties of Belize, located on New Road in Belize […]
It has been the mainstay of Belize’s economy for decades but there are signs that King Sugar may soon be losing its royalty. With low world prices and an eight-year time limit before preferential subsidies are removed, officials of six countries forming the Sugar Association of the Caribbean met today at the Radisson to formulate […]
Minister of Budget Planning and Management Ralph Fonseca will also be in New Orleans later this week, but for a different reason. He is part of a top-level delegation from the Caribbean attending the second annual meeting with US Secretary of State Madeline Albright. According to the Government Press Office, the meeting will set the […]
The theme was “Belize on Rebound” as Prime Minister Said Musa presented the national budget for fiscal year 2000-2001 today in the House of Representatives. While the debate will not take place until the 17th, Musa took the opportunity to give his administration a glowing report card. He pointed to robust economic growth in the […]
The Leader of the Opposition says there is no good news in the budget for Belizeans and that the Prime Minister spoke about improving areas such as education and eliminating poverty, but did not say specifically how these things will be accomplished or how they will be paid for. Dean Barrow, Leader of the Opposition […]
Lovers of lobster should take note that as of today, eating or even possessing your favorite delicacy could land you in trouble with the law. Closed season for spiny lobster, also known as crayfish, runs from February fifteenth through June fourteenth. But while those who eat the sweet seafood may mope, the people who catch […]
If you love a nice cold glass of milk, and we’re not taking about the kind with little powder clumps, the Mennonites at Western Dairies have good news for you. They have acquired a pasteurizing system that should improve the shelf life–or rather the refrigerator shelf life–of their product. Janelle Chanona was in Spanish Lookout […]
Today Belizean policy holders of Mutual Life Insurance got assurances from the company which recently bought Mutual Life, Guardian Life Limited, that their coverage would continue uninterrupted. Guardian Life has been managing the life and pension portfolios of the company since August, 1999 and says they are working to make their newly acquired Belizean interest […]
Have you been checking out that hot new ride but aren’t really sure what kind of damage it’s going to do to your pocket or how easy it will be to get parts? Well after the four major auto dealers got together last year to display their vehicles and tell customers about the services they […]
If you’ve been wondering about all the activity on the Barracks, starting tonight, you can come in and take a look for yourself. It’s the opening of the casino at the newly renovated Princess Hotel. Legislation passed last year has paved the way for full fledged casino gambling in Belize and News Five’s Janelle Chanona […]
Tonight the big story of course is Christmas. And what better way for News Five to report it, than to be where the action is: on Albert Street. Janelle Chanona is live in front of Brodie’s and ready to talk to some of the people who are doing that last minute shopping. Janelle Chanona “Good […]
Janelle Chanona “Jackie Woods went around earlier today to find out what was happening in those stores and spoke to some of the merchants here on Albert Street.” Jacqueline Roe, Purchasing Manager, Hofius “Well it has not been bad, it has definitely been better than last year and we feel that possibly last year one […]
While the government’s campaign to keep Belizean dollars at home seems to be working with thousands shopping in Belize City and district towns this Christmas, our northern neighbors also seem to be Buying Belizean, at the Commercial Free Zone in Corozal. Today News Five took a quick run up to the border to see the […]
While Belize may not have shopping malls, we do have Albert Street. And the spirit of Christmas capitalism appears to be spreading as people from all over Belize are coming to the city to “Buy Belizean,” even if most of the goods are imported. The merchants seem happy with sales so far and the customers […]
If you want to buy Belizean this Christmas, you’d better hurry. The three producers of local hams say their product is gaining in popularity, but due to a shortage of pigs they expect to sell out quickly this year. The following story comes courtesy of the Government Press Office. One of the most important purchases […]
Things are looking up for Belizean trade with the European Union following a meeting of African Caribbean and Pacific countries with the EU last week in Brussels, Belgium. Minister of Budget Planning and Management Ralph Fonseca attended the third ACP-EU Ministerial Meeting and reports that the EU agreed to extend the current preferential treatment of […]
As Christmas approaches some of us may feel tempted to try and shop in the Commercial Free Zone, but Cabinet this week issued a reminder that local shopping is prohibited. The Customs Department is cracking down on the increase number of illegal purchases in the zone since these items enter Belize without paying the necessary […]
One month after consumers faced a rise in fuel prices the government announced another increase. Fortunately, motorists have nothing to worry about, since government says it will absorb the price hike, at least for now. Fuel acquisition prices rose on Sunday’s shipment by twenty-nine cents for premium and thirty-one cents for regular. Kerosene and diesel […]
Much of the media attention during the World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle, Washington last week was focused on the protests in the streets. But inside the conference rooms tensions were also building. Talks collapsed after the developing nations made it clear they were not willing to move on to new issues and agreements being […]
B.T.L., the nation’s most profitable company, today released its six month financial results… and while over eighteen million dollars in profits is not bad for a half year’s work the numbers are not quite as buoyant for shareholders as in the immediate past. Revenue grew just slightly to forty million dollars while expenses took a […]
