Leader of the Belize Progressive Party, Wil Maheia, also weighed in on Ritchie’s case and what he feels is an unreasonable approach by the government to Belizean-owned bus companies. He believes that the companies are mostly Belizean families who have been providing the service for decades, and they should be given a chance to continue […]
The International Monetary Fund has completed its first biannual visit to assess Belize’s economy, as we have been reporting. According to the information from the meetings with various ministers, government officials, and unions, the country has reduced its debt-to-G.D.P. ratio by more than half, from one hundred and thirty-three percent to sixty-three percent. According to […]
C.E.O. Doctor Osmond Martinez says that the economic recovery of the country is due to multiple initiatives. However, he acknowledges that the blue bond agreement allowed for a decrease of the sovereign debt by twelve percent and continues to have a ripple effect. Dr. Osmond Martinez, C.E.O., Ministry of Economic Development “It’s a combination […]
Is Floralia Limited enjoying special privileges from the Government of Belize to put them at an advantage in the public transport industry? Things are heating up within the industry as G.O.B.’s demands for upgraded buses become more pressing. Questions and concerns have always been surrounding Floralia Limited’s entry into the sector and whether they have […]
We reached out to Marvin Vanzie for comments, and he informed us that he was not available for an interview with us at that time. He, however, sent a written statement saying “concerning taxation, Floralia paid G.S.T. and environmental taxes in full, which all Belizeans are obligated to pay. However, there was a reduction in […]
We also spoke with the President of the Belize Bus Association about the new standards for public transportation that were made public today via a Government Press Office release. The release notes that road service permits will be approved for three different types of buses. Type A will be issued to premier services with buses […]
It was day two of shorts in protest of shortages at the hospital. The K.H.M.H. workers once again showed up to work wearing casual clothing. President of the K.H.M.H. Workers Union, Andrew Baird, called the media this morning to explain why. News Five’s Marion Ali was there and files this report. Marion Ali, Reporting […]
As we just reported, the C.E.O. of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, Chandra Nisbet-Cansino, said that she informed the K.H.M.H Workers’ Union President, Andrew Baird, that the letters served to union members regarding their dress code won’t be placed on their official records. This evening, she explained that information may not have reached all heads […]
One of the points of contention between the Hospital Authority and their Workers Union is that there continue to be severe shortages of medicines, supplies, and equipment in the hospital. And when the K.H.M.H. Workers Union circulated their press release on the shortages over a week ago, Cansino responded a few days later that supplies […]
The Ministry of Public Service, Constitutional and Political Reform and Religious Affairs, through its good governance unit, concluded a corruption survey in several departments where there have been multiple and sustained reports of alleged bribery and corruption. We’ll get to that next. First, we asked C.E.O. Rolando Zetina about the case of alleged corruption taking […]
Chief Magistrate Sharon Fraser illustrates that actions like these disrupt the administration of justice but also demonstrate the critical function of the support staff of the judiciary. And without them, the courts would be unable to fulfill their duties. Sharon Fraser, Chief Magistrate “You would have had persons who would have come; maybe today […]
This morning the Joint Union Negotiating Team and the Government met to discuss the pending issues raised by the unions at their press conference last week. Viewers will recall that the unions set an ominous ultimatum to restore increments by April first or else… The looming threat is that if the union’s demands aren’t met, […]
The sick out was not only at the Magistrates Court; our newsroom received reports came from other government departments, including the Treasury Department, which caused services to be temporarily delayed as replacements had to be found for the absentees. When the media caught up with the President of the Public Service Union, Dean Flowers, he […]
Minister of Public Service, Henry Charles Usher told the media today that as a government, they have to respect the right of public officers to express themselves as union members. But, he adds, the action taken by public officers today to call in sick has real effects on the delivery of service by these departments. […]
Similarly, Acting Prime Minister Cordel Hyde, whose brother is an active union leader, says that public officers have the right to express themselves democratically. Here’s how he puts it. Cordel Hyde, Acting Prime Minister “We respect that. We are functioning in a democracy. People have the right to agitate, people have the right to […]
And while public officers were calling in sick, their union leaders and members of the Joint Union Negotiating Team met with government ministers inside the Marion Jones Sporting Complex conference room. The closed-door meeting was to discuss the three main issues of contention: increments, pension reform, and the collective bargaining agreement. Acting Prime Minister Cordel […]
And while it may be interpreted as a kumbaya session, P.S.U. President Dean Flowers, who spoke on behalf of the Joint Unions’ Negotiating Team, says that they won’t be fooled again by G.O.B. Flowers references the negotiations of 2021, which ended with the government freezing their increments and cutting their salaries by ten percent. He […]
And what happens to the ultimatum – April first or else – that the unions issued last week for the reinstatement of increments? The unions believe their increments should resume with the economy rebounding and allowances returned to high-level government officials. Following today’s meeting, it would appear that there are different perspectives on whether that […]
On Wednesday, the Joint Union Negotiating Team and the Government’s Negotiating team will meet to discuss the latest concerns and demands made by the unions. The unions have set a deadline to unfreeze increments by April first or else. But another complex issue that will be discussed is pension reform. The unions are in agreement […]
Representatives from the International Monetary Fund, I.M.F, have been in Belize since the end of last week conducting consultations for their review. The representatives wrapped up their visit today. News Five asked the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance how the consultation went. Chris Coye, Minister of State, Finance “I think it’s […]
Over the years, the I.M.F. report has flagged Belize’s burdensome wage bill. In the past years, the I.M.F. has consistently recommended reducing the public sector wage bill, i.e., retrenchment. The Briceño administration decided to undertake its own cost-saving measures, which included, among other measures – the freezing of increments. So we asked Minister Coye if […]
While Coye said the I.M.F had nothing to say about public officers’ increments, we asked him what the government’s position is on the matter since the unions have given an ultimatum. He said there’s a meeting with the unions shortly. Chris Coye, Minister of State, Finance “I believe that governments union consultation team will […]
Prime Minister John Briceño left the country on Monday to travel to the Bahamas to attend the forty-fourth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community. Among the topics to be discussed at the three-day meeting are the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, food and nutrition security, climate change and […]
For Belizeans who rely on public transportation for their daily commute, they will find the following story all too familiar. Recently, the conversation about improving public transport in Belize has been at the fore. Commuters have used the mediums available to them to express their discontent, while the Government of Belize is undertaking a process […]
His Excellency Doctor Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez is the first Cuban leader to visit Belize. This made his visit on Sunday a historic occasion. President Diaz-Canel, his wife and a host of Cuban diplomats arrived at the Phillip Goldson International Airport just before ten thirty a.m., from an official visit to Mexico. There they were greeted […]
