At the stroke of midnight on Tuesday, fuel prices at the pump went up for a second time in less than a month. As the fiscal year kicked in, on April first, premium gasoline, regular and diesel went up on the heels of an announcement by the Prime Minister during his budget presentation that eighty […]
The prospect of government purchasing the Chon Saan Building in Belmopan is officially off the table, and Cabinet has given the green light to the Immigration Department to scout around once again for a new office space. Well, they aren’t looking very far. In fact, a pretty huge piece of unused real estate is being […]
As the Immigration hearings continued into the afternoon, simultaneously in Belmopan, a swearing-in ceremony took place, across the plaza, at the civic center. More than a hundred individuals became citizens of this country after taking the oath of allegiance. The new citizens heard from the Minister of State for Immigration, Beverly Williams. News Five’s Isani […]
Back to the senate inquiry…the final witness called was officer Omar Phillips, who worked the front desk and received the Won Hong Kim application for a passport in 2013. Phillips came face to face with then-Minister of State Elvin Penner when he presented the application, but he said he does not recall any conversation with […]
Chairman of the Committee, Aldo Salazar, addressed reporters after the hearing concluded this afternoon. He pointed out that other aspects of Barton Middleton’s situation – the brain tumour surgery; the alleged criminal case for Immigration offences and other matters – were not within the Committee’s purview except as it relates to any interaction with the […]
Since the beginning of the week, there has been disquiet among members of staff at the Immigration and Nationality Department over the promotion of employees whom they consider to be unfit for the new posts. That uneasiness has been bubbling below the surface for several weeks, but was tempered following a meeting with the Public […]
According to Williams, the selection of officers for promotion is vetted by the Public Service Commission and that positions within the Immigration Department aren’t arbitrarily created to promote employees. Beverly Williams, Minister of State, Immigration “We don’t have a reason, we haven’t looked at anybody’s file and say, “Oh, this is a bad egg,” […]
A climate change awareness campaign was launched today following a ‘Knowledge, Attitude and Practices’ study across Belize, which indicated that more needs to be done to sensitize the public about the effects of climate change, as well the practices. The programme is in line with the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, to keep global warming below two degrees […]
The Ministry of Health has embarked on an exercise this week to get persons immunized from a number of preventable diseases. At schools and work places, health personnel are encouraging individuals to “Get Vax to Celebrate a Healthy Tomorrow.” The vaccinations are being administered for free. News Five’s Duane Moody reports. Duane Moody, Reporting […]
Today, the Police Department carried out its weekly meet and greet on the north and south sides of the city. We went to Antelope Street Extension area where we caught up with Regional Commander, ACP Chester Williams engaging with residents. Williams told us that residents were generally satisfied with the level of community policing. […]
In about two months, the south side top cop will no longer be walking the streets and leading the officers in Eastern Division. He will be in Belmopan behind a desk, taking up new responsibilities in the Professional Standards Branch. His replacement is former GSU leader Marco Vidal. Today, we asked ACP Williams how the […]
The Belize National Teachers Union and the million dollar payout to non-striking teachers remain in the news tonight. The B.N.T.U. executive is saying that it is not buying the story by Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber that the U.D.P. did not have a hand in the run-up to the election of a new union president […]
Late last Thursday evening, upon emerging victorious as the new president-elect, Senator Elena Smith best described those moles as only she can. Having spotted the so-called U.D.P. operatives at the convention, Smith told reporters, “that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck then it must be a duck.” While Palacio seconds […]
Minister of Education Patrick Faber told reporters on Monday that a final figure and number of teachers who would qualify for the honorarium being offered by the Ministry of Education for work done during the eleven-day strike period last October and the four days allocated for make up in January has not been determined. But […]
So how will Faber be able to access monies from government’s coffers? It’s a question or a notion that Palacio scoffs at, since he’s all too familiar with how that financial system works. Luke Palacio, President, Belize National Teachers Union “It is so unfortunate, those of us who are aware, have some knowledge of […]
The Minister of Education considers it a point of pride that at least he is not being accused of ‘stealing’ the honorarium money, even drawing comparison to the infamous ‘Corozal Pibil Party’ of a few years ago. He also concedes that the Government, having received the approval of the Ministry of Finance could have called […]
The issue of the million dollar bonus for non-striking teachers is one that refuses to go away, particularly since the union believes that it will have a negative impact on an already strict 2017 budget. B.N.T.U. President Luke Palacio says that Faber is purposely confusing an honorarium with a salary. Luke Palacio, President, Belize […]
In responding to comments made by Faber on Monday, Palacio says that the Minister of Education is spinning the truth by accusing the union of disrupting the ministry’s attempts to complete the scheduled make up time for teachers. Luke Palacio, President, Belize National Teachers Union “The other misleading thing that the minister has attempted […]
With a drop in the price of sugar in the global market as well as a shift to beet sugar, the local sugar industry is at a crossroads. To remain competitive, the five thousand plus farmers have to look at how to cut production and harvesting costs to remain competitive. At American Sugar Refinery/Belize Sugar […]
In October of this year, the EU regime changes allowing for European beet sugar to compete directly with sugar cane. For the past ten years the E.U. has been working with the local industry in the north to prepare and adjust to the upcoming change. In an interview with the media today, E.U. Political Counselor […]
After a hiatus of almost a month due to Easter holidays, the Senate Special Select Committee on Immigration’s public hearings return on Wednesday, with the last witness before the break, Barton Middleton, scheduled to continue his testimony. Immigration officers Therese Chavarria and Omar Phillips are also to be called to testify. The hearings have not […]
Still on the Senate… President-elect Elena Smith is also a parliamentarian who sits on the Senate Special Select Committee. She assumes the reins of the Belize National Teachers Union on July first. She is set to succeed three-term B.N.T.U. President Luke Palacio and is herself a firebrand unionist. So, will her dual position present a […]
The Government, a year ago this week, passed legislation to stop Wil Maheia’s Belize Territorial Volunteers and others from peacefully traversing Belize’s southern boundary, the Sarstoon River. Later the B.D.F., Coastguard and Police physically blocked the dock to prevent the expedition. But the Government’s promise that it could get a deal with Guatemala on managing […]
Four students were selected for five hundred dollars scholarship each by Rise Up Belize. The non-profit based out of California was started by Joey Garcia who was born in Belize, but has lived in the U.S.A. Rise Up Belize offers free professional development workshop for primary school teachers in Belize. The organization later expanded its […]
One other matter touched on at the Senate inquiry is the use of technology. Central Information Technology Office employee Francisco Rodriguez and Immigration Department IT chief Rodolfo Bol testified at the Senate Special Select Committee about breaches in the Immigration programs. These breaches allowed employees multiple access points to perform jobs from data entry to […]
