Pitts, a mother of four, paid over five thousand dollars for surgery, where she says that the procedure involved using a screw to join the broken bone. She wants justice and needs assistance because she will be out of work for the next three months. It’s a most horrific experience which Pitts says was a […]
Friday’s eloquent speeches in the House of Representatives after Minister of Human Development Dolores Balderamos-Garcia presented the paper recommending that the late Nora Parham be granted a posthumous pardon were all well-received in the public domain. But we asked the minister, when we caught up with her at an event on Sunday, what protects the […]
It has been criticized for the restrictive and deplorable living conditions under which its residents live. The institution has even previously dealt with allegations of sexual harassment. Then in 2015, a horrific fire swept through one of the buildings, killing three girls who were trapped inside. So, needless to say, the public outcry for an […]
The former Princess Royal Youth Hostel was an institution that was neglected for years, with its bathroom in need of urgent plumbing repairs, and its residents making attempts every few months to break out from the facility. On one occasion, in the wake of a fire that claimed the lives of three of the girls, […]
Nurses Week ended with a scare that sent the medical staff at the K.H.M.H., as well as dozens of patients, scrambling for safety. Patients in wheelchairs, some in beds still connected to I.V.s, gathered on the ramp outside the entrance of the hospital because someone called in a bomb threat. In most threats of this […]
But who could have made such a threat on the poor man’s hospital that provides tertiary care medical treatment to the entire country? Doctor Andre Sosa, the Chair of the Board of Governors at the K.H.M.H., says that the suspect, an individual who has a mental health condition, was discharged from the institution just minutes […]
According to Doctor Andre Sosa, the incident, while callous, is being taken as an opportunity for the institution to test its capacity to manage in the case of a natural disaster, especially as the hurricane season draws near. Dr. Andre Sosa, Chair, Board of Governors, K.H.M.H. “We have to be cognizant of the fact […]
This week was celebrated as Nurses’ Week, under the theme “Nurses: A Voice to Lead-Invest in Nursing and Respect Rights to Secure Global Health. In the house today, Kevin Bernard, the Minister of Health and Wellness, recognized the hard work of these frontline workers, especially at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In his comments, […]
The Government of Belize introduced a bill to repeal the Trade Licensing Act, Chapter sixty-six of the Substantive Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2020, to make way for the implementation of a reformed trade license regime. According to Oscar Requeña, the Minister of Labor, Local Government and Rural Development says the trade license regime will […]
The Government of Belize brought a six million dollar loan motion before the House of Representatives today. The loan, in U.S. dollars, is from the International Bank of Reconstruction and Development, and it is being sought to assist in Belize’s COVID-19 response. According to Prime Minister Briceño, the greatest portion of the loan will be […]
In 1963, Nora Parham was sentenced to death after a biased justice system convicted her for the death of an abusive common-law husband. Almost sixty years later, the House of Representatives is seeking to reverse this miscarriage of justice. To this end, a motion was passed inside the National Assembly seeking to move the Belize […]
Parham recalls seeing his mother being physically abused at the hands of the man she was accused of killing. He recounted occasions, as a seven-year-old, when he had to run from his home to a nearby police station to seek help for his mother. His family now recommends that more support be provided for domestic […]
The motion was brought before the house by Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, the Minister of Human Development and Indigenous People’s Affairs. Minister Dolores and a team consisting of various social and government partners have been working on the motion which will now be taken to the senate, and then the Belize Advisory Council. The Council will then […]
Tracy Taegar-Panton, the Area Representative of Albert Division, rose to show support for the motion. She extended an apology to the children and grandchildren of Nora Parham on behalf of herself and the Opposition. Tracey Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert Division “Would like to personally apologize to the children and grand children of Nora Parham. […]
The cost of goods and services has gone up considerably and Belizeans are feeling the pinch in their wallets. But, what are the various factors that are influencing these increases? To get some answers we turned to Christopher Coye, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, who explains that Belize is “a price […]
We asked Minister Coye whether he foresees the cost of essential goods going down in the near future. He explained that in the long term, prices never go back down. According to Minister Coye, there is an economic rationale for steady and sustained annual inflation. The price of fuel may fluctuate, he says, but that […]
So why not simply decrease taxes on essential goods? For all intents and purposes, a tax decrease will lower prices on the market, but in the long term it will cut into government’s revenue. This will then negatively impact the services provided by the government. That is how Minister Coye puts it. He says that […]
Any increase in the cost of flour is illegal and if supermarkets and stores are caught selling this commodity at a higher price they will be dealt with by the Ministry of Food Security. That’s the message coming from Minister Jose Abelardo Mai as reports have been surfacing that the cost of flour has gone […]
Cabinet minister Andre Perez, whose family owns the largest bakery in San Pedro, says that he supports an increase in the cost of bread. He says that the acquisition cost of raw materials is up and bakers have been absorbing these costs for the past fifteen years. Minister Perez breaks down the reality for bakers. […]
And while Minister Perez can relate to the concerns of the Belize Bakers Association, it simply comes down to the fact that consumers will take on any additional costs and not the producer. This puts an additional stress on consumers who have no control over their income. These are all the things that Food Security […]
This morning, the Federation of Cruise Tourism Associations of Belize, FECTAB, held a press conference in Belize City to voice strong objection to a proposed training that would be provided by the Belize Tourism Board ahead of tour operators and guides renewing their respective licenses. FECTAB and its membership weren’t having it and argued vehemently […]
FECTAB President David Almendarez who is of a similar view, suggested instead that tour operators be trained on how to improve their online presence in the international marketplace. David Almendarez, FECTAB “Mr. Evan, head of B.T.B., I will reach out to you before the end of the day and we wah come to a […]
A new piece of legislation that will allow government to explore the prospect of expanding the cruise tourism sector to southern Belize is expected to be introduced in parliament on Friday. According to FECTAB, a proposed bill will be brought before the House of Representatives tomorrow for first reading. Once the bill has been read […]
When News Five pressed FECTAB President David Almendarez if he has gotten an opportunity to peruse the draft legislation, he abruptly chose not to respond to our question. He does take umbrage, however, with the notion of relocating cruise tourism from its central location in Belize City. Isani Cayetano “Have you by any chance […]
The Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute, under the Ministry of the Blue Economy, and in partnership with the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing, broke ground for infrastructural upgrades. The project is in tandem with the I.D.B.’s Climate Vulnerability Reduction Program and includes a new pier, a palapa and eco-friendly sleeping quarters and bathrooms. […]
