In the end, cane farmers run the risk of losing out on the Fair Trade Premium paid to Associations on an annual basis. These premiums are paid as an extra sum of money, on top of the selling price to invest in projects of their choice. Having a signed commercial agreement is one of the […]
For their part, the Committee of Management of the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association lost no time in responding to ASR/BSI’s statements today. This evening they issued a release saying that while the Belize Sugar Industries Limited (BSI) informed Belize Cane Farmers Association (BSCFA) about its counter proposals for a commercial agreement, these proposals focus […]
The Vice President of ASR/BSI was also asked about the Sugar Industry Amendment Bill that stalled in the Senate on Monday. Echoing the sentiments of the Social Partners in the Senate, VP McLachlan asserts there should be less government intervention, controls and regulations. Mac McLachlan, VP of International Relations “I am a firm believer […]
In 2016, her office exposed numerous irregularities and corrupt practices within Government departments, including at the Belize Sports Council and within the Ministry of Sports as well as other illegalities within the Government. This included the sale of Belizean passports, visas, and granting of Belizean citizenship to foreign nationals. Special reports released by her office […]
The World Justice Project has released its Rule of Law Index for 2021, which presents a portrait of the rule of law in one hundred and thirty-nine countries and jurisdictions. It provides scores and rankings based on eight factors: constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, […]
On Monday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Eamon Courtenay in his role as Senator for Government Business announced that G.O.B., through the Ministry of Immigration will be launching an Amnesty Program in 2022. It will be offered to tens of thousands of undocumented Central American and CARICOM migrants who have been living in Belize for years. […]
New public health measures came into effect on Monday night. These will see the curfew hours extended to eleven p.m. to four a.m. on week days and twelve a.m. to four a.m. on weekends. Additionally, new measures are being imposed for persons entering Belize through the airport who have travelled from Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, […]
The leadership of the Public Service Union has announced it will challenge the vaccination mandate coming into effect December fifteenth. The mandate forces all public officers to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The decision taken by the Briceño administration has been met with fierce objection because some public officers believe this is a violation of their […]
There are reports coming out of New Orleans are that up to seventeen passengers and crew members on a Norwegian cruise line ship, which stopped in Belize recently, have tested positive for COVID-19. Reports are that the vessel left New Orleans on November twentieth and as it made its voyage it stopped in Belize, Honduras […]
She is the most decorated Belizean female cyclist, having won races in all female categories in Belize as well as placing well if not winning in her races internationally. Now, Kaya Cattouse has again made the country proud by landing a one-year contract with a professional U.S-based cycling team. Cattouse made the official announcement today […]
The fight for exclusivity in the development of a cruise port in the Belize District will be heard before the high court later this month, as the Feinstein Group has brought proceedings against the Government of Belize and NEAC. The litigation is over environmental approval given to developer David Gegg for Port of Magical Belize, […]
Over at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade in Belmopan, a second handing over ceremony was held for the Enhancing the Economic Empowerment of Women in Latin America and the Caribbean in the COVID-19 Post-Pandemic Era Project. In this second cohort of recipients, the numbers are up from four to seven. News Five’s […]
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 big news coming out of the Senate today was the announcement by the Ministry of Immigration that they are preparing to offer an amnesty program for Central American and CARICOM immigrants. The program would offer permanent residency status to the un-documented in Belize, creating a pathway to eventual citizenship. In 2010, it was estimated […]
Last week, a trip to Bolivia and Peru by Immigration officers made headlines after the President of the Public Service Union reportedly asserted that travel was somehow made with nefarious intent. Hours later, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, fired off a two page release denying the assertion and asking for an apology. The Ministry’s release […]
The Sugar Industry Amendment Bill seeks to give the Minister of Agriculture the authority to receive and deal with disputes and complaints brought to the Sugar Control Board. The Government of Belize is accusing some Sugar Cane Associations of not holding regular elections, and as a result operating without a clear mandate from its members. […]
The Opposition says the Sugar Bill Amendment goes against the commitment by the Briceno Administration to minimize ministerial discretion. Opposition members in the House of Representative argued on Friday that the Bill gives the Minister absolute power. They therefore withheld their support for the amendment. Hugo Patt, Area Representative, Corozal North “I think we […]
Prime Minister John Briceno also chimed in on the Amendment, insisting that the legislation does not give the Minister control over the association and the Sugar Control Board. According to the PM, his Administration only seeks to ensure that cane farmer association elections are held in a timely manner. Prime Minister John Briceno “All […]
In the Senate today, the Sugar Industry Amendment Bill was most unpopular. One Senator referred to the Bill as the “worst piece of legislation” he has seen since being appointed to the Senate. The majority of the non-government Senators objected to the Bill, some even calling for a division in the vote. In the end, […]
The Contractor General’s Report, for the period February 2020 through March 2021, has been published and made available to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, as well as the President of the Senate. The thirty-eight page document compiled by the Office of Contractor General Omar Mitchell examines the aggregate number of contracts that were […]
The Contractor General’s Report also touches briefly on the Corruption Perception Index and the fact that Belize does not have such an important indicator to refer to when assigning a transparency data point. According to the Contractor General, the CPI must be viewed within the context that the Government of Belize is keen on fast-tracking […]
Kareem Michael has been named as the new Central Bank Governor. The post was left vacant by Gustavo Manuel Vasquez, who resigned back in August, after only nineteen weeks in that capacity. But there is word there are some in the Briceño Administration who are not too happy with Michael taking the helm because of […]
There was a meeting at the House of Representatives today and early on there was an exchange about an issue which affects every Belizean: the curfew. Mesopotamia Area Representative, Shyne Barrow asked the Minister of Health, Michel Chebat a question a lot of Belizeans are beginning to ask: Why is the curfew still in place? […]
Today, Minister of Human Development and Families, Dolores Balderamos Garcia presented a Bill to amend the Juvenile Offenders Act and a Bill for an Act to amend the Families and Children Act. The amendments seek to repeal the provisions that relate to status offences and related matters and to make a substitution for the term […]
During today’s meeting, Prime Minister John Briceño rose to explain that the Caribbean Development Bank was in the process of refunding five million dollars that his Government had used soon after taking office to repair roads and infrastructure. These were compromised by Hurricanes Etta and Iota in the latter part of 2020. Leader of the […]
