And then Prime Minister Barrow dropped the hammer, expressing its full support for any group which would organize to deliver cane outside of the B.S.C.F.A. That signifies a complete dismissal of the Association by government. And the PM says he doesn’t even have to call a House meeting to amend the Act at this point. […]
There is still no date for the start of the sugar crop and farmers are encouraged to deal directly with the sugar company. While this represents a blow to the B.S.C.F.A., the association is still facing major hurdles. There is a looming threat from Fairtrade on the disbursement of funds and there is the possibility […]
So to wrap it all up, we picked out the relevant statement which clearly shows the Prime Minister’s frustration with the continuing chaos in the industry. While Barrow has maintained that he can’t run roughshod into a private company, some observers say that just as he did with other private companies like B.T.L., he could […]
On Wednesday’s newscast we showed you pictures of hundreds of Guatemalan labourers massed at the Western Border waiting to come across. These labourers, we were told, entered Belize on the strength of one day passes, but were commissioned to work at Santander for a year. Now that’s not how it’s supposed to work, so naturally […]
When we last heard about the K.H.M.H., the folks there were welcoming the new baby for 2015. Well there is some more positive news tonight. The lobby of the Accident and Emergency wing of the K.H.M.H. has received a facelift though a collaborative effort with the private sector. The hospital teamed up with SMART for […]
The tourism industry closed last year on a high note after surpassing a million visitors to the jewel. And early indications are that 2015 may also be a bumper year. This week, Belize got a huge endorsement as one of the top fifteen destinations to visit in 2015 when it was called a Life-Affirming Destination. […]
It is now abundantly clear that the protection of our environment is key to our continued existence. In fact sixty percent of the country has been designated as protected areas. The Department of the Environment this morning organized a workshop in a protected area to emphasize to importance of implementing good practices to safeguard the […]
The workshop concluded with a tour by the Community Baboon Sanctuary in the area. The sanctuary, which spans the length and width of seven villages in the River Valley area, was instituted back in February 1985 by residents of the community as a voluntary private protected area. Two hundred and forty landowners in the villages […]
But the CBS relies primarily on the tourism aspect of the sanctuary. The sanctuary offers six different tours including the nature walk, a river canoe tour that is contracted to a landowner and birding tours. The tours being the primary source of economic development in the area is under threat, however, by an investor that […]
Why were hundreds of Guatemalan labourers at our Western Border crossing into Belize today? Well that’s the question everybody wants answered at this time. As you can see from this picture obtained by News Five, today hundreds of Guatemalan nationals were lined up to enter Belize. Reliable sources tell us that all of them came […]
It is not officially open yet, but traffic is already traversing the Chetumal Street Bridge in Belize City that spans the two highways; Phillip Goldson and the George Price thoroughfares. The estimated cost to build the bridge is a cool four point five million dollars, according to contractors, who also say the structure is one […]
Municipal Elections 2015 are set for early March and Belizeans in nine towns and cities are once again gearing up to go to the polls in the national exercise. Despite the P.U.P.’s astounding defeat in the Cayo North bye-election on Monday, party leader Francis Fonseca is resolute in his belief that the political tides are […]
Fair-trade dropped a bombshell on the B.S.C.F.A. today concerning the disbursal of four million dollars to farmers. Prime Minister Barrow went on record earlier this week to say that he will be reaching out to the B.S.C.F.A. and B.S.I. once again to find out what their respective positions are on the negotiation process. That announcement […]
Following on the heels of Sunday’s meeting with cane-farmers, letters have been sent to both the SICB and the Prime Minister requesting intervention and immediate action. So far there has been no official response, nor to our knowledge, any meetings with the parties. But the Prime Minister has made no secret of his feelings on […]
Even as the B.S.C.F.A. tries to chart a path over rocky roads and through shark-infested waters, there are increasingly loud reports of discord among farmers. News Five has covered every meeting of the general assembly, so we know first-hand that there are many farmers who want the crop to start now. With what’s happening now […]
The Prime Minister has been the man guiding the ship of government’s intervention in the sugar-cane crisis, but without doubt his navigator has been Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega. So we thought it was fair to ask that gentleman for his take on the current crisis. Vega claims that what happened at Sunday’s meeting of […]
Together We Can Solve Hunger….it’s a non-profit organization that was established less than a year ago with a single goal – to assist the less fortunate Belizeans in the city. TWCSH is the brainchild of Shaheed Mai and his family in which they feed the homeless and provide assistance to families that cannot afford the […]
The organization has grown and now caters to over forty homeless persons in the city. The family has providing weekly food hampers to several families throughout the city. Mai took the opportunity to ask for assistance for the cause. Geraldine Mai, Together We Can Solve Hunger “We reach out to the homeless; we have […]
The results of the Cayo North by-elections were known early on Monday night but were in fact predicted before voting even took place. Early in the counting, the U.D.P. enjoyed a comfortable lead in every of the thirteen boxes from both polling areas, seventy-three in San Ignacio and seventy-five in Bullet Tree. When all the […]
While the U.D.P. celebrates, for the People’s United Party, it has been a devastating loss. At a press conference at Independence Hall this afternoon by the P.U.P., the media brief was devoid of the traditional fanfare that has come to be expected at the party’s headquarters on Queen Street. Party leader Francis Fonseca appeared alone […]
While the Cayo North bye-election is being used as a barometer to measure the parties’ respective abilities to mobilize supporters to the polls come March, Fonseca admits that the existing resources will need to distributed equitably in order for the P.U.P. to mount a massive campaign against the ruling party. It was a decision, Fonseca […]
And what’s the morale of the P.U.P. following Monday’s devastating loss at the polls? According to Fonseca, while there is disappointment, the party is preparing to move ahead and that the impact of the loss will only be felt in the Cayo North constituency. Francis Fonseca, Party Leader, P.U.P. “If it has an impact […]
The only thing for certain in the sugar industry is that it is back to square one and tonight, the industry finds itself at rock bottom. While there is urgent need to start the sugar crop, it is still not known when the Tower Hill mill will begin to grind. Here is why. On Sunday, […]
Both the B.S.C.F.A. and Lucilo Teck were making the media rounds this morning. Teck, a former secretary of the B.S.C.F.A., maintains that the purpose for seeking an injunction would have been to prevent the committee of management from signing unto the agreement with ASR/B.S.I. since it was unauthorized to do so. Teck says that notwithstanding […]
When we checked tonight, there was no word yet on any possible meeting between the key players in the industry. But late this evening, the B.S.C.F.A. has written to the Prime Minister to intervene to bring the parties together. On Monday, the PM said the continued delay in the sugar industry will have dire effects […]
