The union team has been busy building its case for a salary adjustment for teachers and public officers. And that means not only asserting why that it is justified, but also pointing out areas in which government can find the money to pay it. That probably won’t go over well with Prime Minister Dean Barrow, […]
Aside from targeting inefficiencies in government ministries, the unions also made comments aimed at the latest government innovation, the much lauded special purpose vehicle, Belize Infrastructure Limited. N.T.U.C.B. President, Dylan Reneau, says there are a few things in the latest budget which concern them, and B.I.L. is at the top of the list. According to […]
Construction of a spanking new classroom is getting off the ground; it is a welcome expansion to the Ladyville Technical High School. The project is being implemented by New Horizons as part of US Southern Command’s initiative in partnership with the government. Aside from educational purposes, the facility will be used for medical and dental […]
An American fugitive has been caught in Belize. US national, Daniel Rae Morris, who attempted to re-enter Belize at the Corozal border with Mexico on Wednesday March twenty-first, had a Belizean passport in his possession. But something was apparently wrong with the information on the seventy year old passport. As it was later revealed the […]
Former P.U.P. Area representative for the Albert Division, Mark Espat has been getting a lot of accolades from the lips of Prime Minister Dean Barrow. Mark Espat led the team that successfully negotiated the five hundred and fifty million US dollar Super Bond. The praise was so intense today, that it appeared the government could […]
After six o’clock this evening, the budget debate concluded in the House of Representatives. The budget for the new financial year starting April first, calls for nine hundred and thirty-four million dollars in spending and eight hundred and seventy one point seven million dollars in revenue and grants; a deficit of sixty-two million point two […]
Foreign Affairs Minister Wilfred Elrington is a man who has always spoken freely about his views on national affairs. He has gained much criticism for well used words at a 2009 Organization of American States Meeting in Washington. The meeting was with his then Guatemalan counterpart, Haroldo Rodas Melgar. Specifically Elrington said, “We have to […]
The termination of a husband and wife from the Belize Central Prison over a week ago has raised concerns within the executive of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize. Colive and Carla Casimiro were fired by the management of the Kolbe Foundation individually, over what prison officials are citing as a lack of confidence […]
It has been reported in other parts of the media that Colive Casimiro’s release was, according to information furnished, a pre-emptive measure to stop him from protesting his wife’s dismissal. The N.T.U.C.B., says Jones, is yet to formally address the matter with the management of the Kolbe Foundation. Earl Jones, C.E.O., Kolbe Foundation “There […]
The political free for all at the House in Belmopan is the big news tonight, but there’s another battle with political undertones being waged in Orange Walk Town. On one side of that northern rumble is the Town Council, which is managed by a P.U.P. administration. On the other side is U.D.P. political aspirant Orlando […]
A forensic training at Price Barracks in Ladyville culminated today with some twenty-two persons from various departments receiving certificates of participation. Forensic technicians, scientists as well as the judiciary and other specialized personnel took part in the four-day training which comes on the heels of the introduction of an Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS) in […]
The 2013-2014 budget debate took place in the House this morning. The Speaker called for good behavior and by and large House members were in true form restraining from the usual mudslinging. But he would note later during the presentations that few members had actually referred to the estimates. The Leader of the Opposition, Francis […]
Before the debate on the budget started, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington, gave an update on the referendum revealing a preposterous proposal by the Guatemalans which clearly shatters the referendum. Elrington reported for the first time on the essence of the visit of the Guatemalan Foreign Minister three weeks ago. Elrington confirmed […]
BIL is the acronym for the Belize Infrastructure Company Limited which is a recently established state owned company operating from the Ministry of Works. The company will carry out sixty million dollars of infrastructural projects; work that should be carried out by the Ministry of Works. The articles of association show that senior officials are […]
It’s been under the radar and off the public scope lately, pushed to the backburner while issues like the super-bond restructuring, the budget presentation and the referendum dominate the spotlight. But make no mistake, the salary adjustment haggling between government and the unions is far from settled. Just for some background, on February first government […]
There are many cases of drug trafficking as well as numerous cases where drugs have been discovered in empty lots or abandoned properties, but where do all these drugs end up? Well, there are scheduled times, when all the drugs from closed cases or drugs that are labeled found property are destroyed. On Wednesday members […]
A group of the territorial volunteers visited the boundary marker at Aguas Turbias early this morning. The reconnaissance mission is in preparation for a large expedition planned for April thirtieth by the Belize Territorial Volunteers. The monument marks the boundary for Belize, Mexico and Guatemala. It is Belize’s northernmost boundary with Guatemala and where the […]
The Pallottine Sisters on Sunday celebrated one hundred years of working in Belize since the arrival of four young nuns in 1913. The order is small, but its achievements are many, especially in the area of education. The sisters were German, but settled in Benque Viejo Del Carmen where they taught English to the mostly […]
Guatemala wants out of going to the referendum on October sixth, and out of possibly taking the Belize/Guatemala dispute to the International Court of Justice. That’s the word from Minister of Foreign Affairs this afternoon as he returned from Sunday’s meeting with Guatemala at OAS headquarters in Washington. The news confirms what Guatemala had been […]
In Tuesday’s newscast, President of the Bar Eamon Courtenay strongly defended the work and worth of that Association. And to cement his position that there is much that the Bar does in matters of national interest, Courtenay pointed out that the Association will be participating fully in the education and awareness campaign in respect of […]
The absence of the Guatemalan Foreign Minister Fernando Carrera at a scheduled meeting at the Organization of American States (OAS) on Sunday sent strong signals of Guatemala’s attitude toward resolving the territorial claim. It is now clear that the Guatemalans will not hold the referendum on October sixth as agreed to in the compromis signed […]
This Thursday, thirty one representatives in the House are expected to engage in a lively battle inside the National Assembly. The Opposition People’s United Party is expected to challenge the merits of the 2013-2014 budget which was tabled by the Prime Minister on March first, Prime Minister Dean Barrow has said that his budget offers […]
In the budget presentation in March, the Prime Minister announced the establishment of a company to carry out a package of infrastructural projects to the tune of sixty million dollars. The company is the Belize Infrastructure Limited which was set up on February, twenty-seventh and its place of business is the Ministry of Works. News […]
There is another issue that Minister Elrington discussed today. And though he’s just back in the country and says he hasn’t been briefed on the Bar’s response to the proposed amendment to the Legal Profession Act, Minister Elrington insists that he is at all times prepared to dialogue. Four recommendations were brought out at the […]
But while the Attorney-General and the Bar Association seem inclined to dialogue, one particular section of the proposed amendment which is sure to generate some heated discussion is the matter of the General Legal Council. Currently, the council is appointed by the Association, but the amendment as it is proposed will give that power to […]
