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The survey was completed under the leadership of Minister Rodwell Ferguson, but began even before when the now Minister of Health and Wellness had the portfolio for the Ministry of Youth. Today’s launch is the fruition of dedication and hard work and an investment of two million dollars into the ministry that will further assist […]
Written on March 18, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on An Additional $2 Million for Youth Portfolio
He’s back in the city after a three-year absence and a transfer within the Belize Police Department. Assistant Commissioner of Police Howell Gillett officially resumed his duties in the Old Capital on Tuesday as the new Regional Commander of Eastern Division. For many who are familiar with Gillett’s style of policing, community outreach plays a […]
Written on March 17, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Howell Gillett is Back; Ghost Town is His First Stop
It has been almost eight years since Ramon Cervantes Senior was killed in the Honey Camp area of Orange Walk District. The murder of the seventy-one-year-old in July 2014 devastated his family, including his son, Orange Walk North Area Representative Ramon ‘Monchi’ Cervantes Junior. The elderly man was found in a shallow grave in an […]
Written on March 17, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on One Step Closer to Closure in Ramon Cervantes’ Death
Cervantes appeals to Interpol to see how a fourth suspect, Manuel Castillo, can be arrested and brought to justice. Castillo absconded from Belize shortly after participating in the murder of Monchi Cervantes’ father. On the phone: Ramon ‘Monchi’ Cervantes Jr., Son of Deceased “The judgment has provided some comfort to us and we see […]
Written on March 17, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on A Fourth Suspect is Still on the Lam in Ramon Cervantes’ Murder
A delegation from the U.S. Government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation, led by Chief Executive Officer Alice Albright has been in Belize for the past two days. The visit was to discuss the development of a new M.C.C. compact, as Belize was deemed eligible for financial support. The independent U.S. government agency’s mission is to reduce poverty […]
Written on March 17, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Belize Selected for A New Phase of the Millennium Challenge
On Wednesday, an initial agreement was signed with Prime Minister John Briceño for initial administrative expenses necessary to facilitate compact development. The one point five million dollars in funding will ensure that G.O.B. and M.C.C. have access to technical expertise to conduct a rigorous assessment of the country’s economic situation. That process commenced earlier this […]
Written on March 17, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on $1.5 Million for Technical Expertise
There was a startling revelation during today’s press conference and that is that poverty in Belize has increased to fifty-two percent. That’s one in every two persons who is considered poor. And that is using pre-COVID-19 data. While an assessment to determine the impact of the pandemic on poverty has not been done, during the […]
Written on March 17, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Constraints to Economic Growth; 52% Poverty in Belize
The selection of Belize for the compact program development is the start of a new phase of partnership between Belize and the United States. It has the potential to deliver big benefits for Belizeans throughout the country. Chargé d’affaires Leyla Moses-Ones speaks to this. Leyla Moses-Ones, Chargé d’affaires, U.S. Embassy “When I say we […]
Written on March 17, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on M.C.C. Compact Strengthens Bilateral Relations between U.S. & Belize
An injunction barring the Christian Workers Union from disbursing the one point five million dollar payout from the Government of Belize has been extended. This morning, before Justice Lisa Shoman, litigants for the Port of Belize Limited and the C.W.U. presented arguments in respect to the disbursement of the compensation provided by the Briceño administration […]
Written on March 16, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Injunction on C.W.U. Compensation Continues
While government can in fact make such compensatory payments, Smith argues that constitutionally it has to be done through a contingencies fund and not from the consolidated revenue funds from which the payment was made. Godfrey Smith, Attorney-at-law “It must come, according to the constitution, not from the consolidated revenue fund but from another […]
Written on March 16, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on C.W.U. Payment Should Have Come from GOB’s Contingency Fund
The matter is set to be heard, in full, on the tenth and eleventh of May. According to Smith, the points in the argument being made on behalf of his clients are nothing new. Godfrey Smith, Attorney-At-Law “At this juncture, all we needed to satisfy the court of since we were seeking an interim […]
Written on March 16, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on C.W.U. Case to be Heard in Full in May
It is the one factor that has caused many a heartache when we go to fill up, or in many cases now, just replenish the fuel we consume in order to move around. It has forced bus operators to threaten a nationwide shutdown if the government does not seek to give some type of relief […]
Written on March 16, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Government & Social Partner Representatives Meet to Discuss Way around Exorbitant Fuel Prices
Chanona explained just how much of a ripple effect the inflation of fuel prices can have on marine resources, particularly. Cutbacks or busted fuel budgets will mean there will no longer be the type of monitoring and patrols that is necessary to man the seas. Janelle Chanona, Senator-elect, NGO’s “From the NGO sector, we […]
Written on March 16, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Fuel Price Inflation Has Rippling Effect on All Sectors
President of the Belize Bus Owners Association, Thomas Shaw was part of the meeting today with government and social partner representatives. He told News Five that while the government can put a cap on fuel prices, there will still be a domino effect on inflated prices of goods and services. Notably, News Five understands that […]
Written on March 16, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on G.O.B. Places Cap on Fuel Prices, but Prices Went up Same Day
Prime Minister John Briceño dedicated a portion of his budget presentation on Tuesday to speak on the issue of outstanding, uncollected taxes. He noted that the recently established Tax Collection Unit reviewed close to nineteen thousand accounts that carried arrears of an estimated six hundred and forty million dollars in GST, Business Tax and Income […]
Written on March 16, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on PM Briceño on Outstanding, Uncollected Tax
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, the Leader of the Opposition, believes that government should be able to find creative ways to collect these outstanding taxes, even those that are considered uncollectable under the Statute of Limitations. Barrow contends that the statute should not protect “absconders of tax dollars”. Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition “There […]
Written on March 16, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Statute of Limitations Protect, “Absconders of Tax Dollars”, Opposition Leader
Agriculture production contributed to a robust expansion of the sector. The resumption of the exportation of livestock to neighboring countries, under the Briceño Administration, bolstered the sector’s revenue, says P.M. Briceño. Poultry and pork production were also strengthened. Increases were realized in lobster and conch production. According to P.M. Briceño, for a ministry that was […]
Written on March 16, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Productive Sector Rebounds
The service sector also saw significant growth in 2021, largely due to the re-commencement of cruise ship calls to Belize, as well as a spike in overnight tourism. All this is the result of a phased reopening of the economy. Prime Minister John Briceño “The services sector grew by ten point one percent, reversing […]
Written on March 16, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Service Sector Sees Significant Growth
Belize’s international reserves now stand at eight hundred and thirty million dollars. According to P.M. Briceño, domestic banks also experienced a boom as a result of a sharp upturn in net foreign assets, largely due to a rebound in the tourism industry. There was also an increase in call center receipts, and a surge in […]
Written on March 16, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Domestic Banks Experience ‘Boom’
In the 2022-2023 budget, the Government of Belize intends to spend an estimated one hundred and three million dollars on the Capital three program. These are investment funded from external loan grants and resources. A large portion, over fifty percent of those investments are air marked for road infrastructure programs. Additionally, government estimates eighty million […]
Written on March 16, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on 2022 Investments in Rural Roads and Land for Belizeans
Belize’s economic recovery has surpassed all predictions for timelines given by the Briceño Administration and the IMF. It is on this achievement that his government presented its second annual budget in the House of Representatives this morning. it was a full house in Belmopan where the gallery was open to the public for the first […]
Written on March 15, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on PM Briceño Presents Government’s 2021 Fiscal Performance
PM Briceño also says that the projected performance for fiscal year 2021-2022 is nothing short of spectacular, in terms of the overall budget outlook. Government projects total recurrent revenue of one point two billion dollars. This, says PM Briceño, is nineteen percent higher than the budgeted figure. Additionally, tax revenues reportedly recorded increases. Expenses are […]
Written on March 15, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Less Borrowing, More Revenue, and Decreased Nation Debt In 2021
While the Briceño Administration takes its victory lap in the Prime Minister’s presentation on its 2021 fiscal performance, Opposition Leader Shyne Barrow is not impressed. According to Barrow, the economic growth that the Briceño Administration boasts of is not an accurate reflection of the relief that Belizeans are seeking from increased prices on the local […]
Written on March 15, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Opposition Leader says Government’s 2021 Performance Unimpressive
PM Briceño responded to the Leader of the Opposition’s criticism by conceding that we are not yet out of the woods. But, according to PM Briceño, anyway you look at it, Belize has moved forward over the last year. Prime Minister John Briceño “I always remember what Mr. Price, the Father of the Nation, […]
Written on March 15, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on “Belize Has Moved Forward”, Says PM Briceño
Looking at the projections for the 2022-2023 budget, PM Briceño says Government must remain cautious. The nation’s economy is vulnerable to several factors, including inflation, climate change, rise in fuel prices, and the threat of another wave of COVID-19 infections, to name a few. PM Briceño did not introduce any new, major tax revenue measures […]
Written on March 15, 2022 | Posted in
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Comments Off on 2022-2023 Budget Restores Pay Cut; Introduces No New Tax Revenues
