The Opposition side this term is robust with fifteen parliamentarians, some who made their maiden intervention today. While the budget will be debated on July twelfth and thirteenth, we got an early reaction from the Opposition side when we caught up with former Leader of the Opposition and current Orange Walk Central Area Representative John […]
While the Prime Minister was presenting his first post election budget, outside the National Assembly building, a handful of demonstrators kept up the pressure against crime. Jasmine Lowe, the murdered thirteen year old girl from Santa Elena, was central to the demonstration. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports. Isani Cayetano, Reporting What should have been […]
And now back to the budget, a large part of the public debt is still undecided as the cost of nationalizing Belize Telemedia Limited and Belize Electricity Limited has not been worked out. Now that both utility companies are government properties, Barrow says that B.T.L. is investing fifty-one million dollars in capital improvements this year, […]
There are few new initiatives in the budget. The prime minister brought back the construction of a basketball arena, which the Mexican government was initially committed to. He hopes that with support from B.T.L. and Social Security, the sporting facility will finally come to fruition. Dean Barrow “Under Infrastructure, I must as well mention […]
There were other activities taking place aside from the budget. Across the Caribbean, today is recognized as Regional HIV Testing Day. The initiative was started by the Caribbean Broadcast Media Partnership on HIV/AIDS in collaboration with the Pan Caribbean Partnership on HIV/AIDS (PANCAP) in 2008. For the first time it is being implemented locally with […]
Streets in the downtown area are getting a much needed face lift. The roster includes ten streets that are heavily trafficked on both the north and south sides. The novelty is that nine will be paved with cement instead of asphalt, which City Hall says will better withstand the traffic and elements and is cheaper. […]
While cuts are anticipated in government expenditure, in the tourism industry the GST is expected to be introduced to replace the hotel tax. But stakeholders are not complaining. Since its introduction several years ago, hoteliers were exempted from charging GST on goods and services; instead, guests had to pay a nine percent hotel accommodation fee […]
A go-slow by stevedores of the Christian Workers Union (C.W.U.) on Tuesday was stepped up to a work stoppage on Wednesday. The stevedores complained that the negotiation process for a Collective Bargaining Agreement (C.B.A.) between the Union and the Port of Belize Limited was moving at a snail’s pace. The troubles go back to May […]
The Port of Belize Limited, however, says that a framework agreement was signed between the CWU and PBL on March twenty-third in respect of the negotiations of a collective bargaining agreement and that they are surprised at the actions of the stevedores and the CWU. The release says, “For the CWU to create industrial action […]
The Belize Tourism Board reports tonight a seven point four percent increase in tourism visitors between January and May. March recorded the highest increase with a historic thirty-two thousand visitors coming to the Jewel, followed by February. With that impressive rebound, the B.T.I.A. met this morning in bi-annual general meeting. Aside from a GST to […]
Green Tropics, a Spanish company, became known in earlier this month when its operations were put on hold for dredging at the Labouring Creek Jaguar Corridor Wildlife Sanctuary. The company has now agreed to pay an environmental fine of over one hundred thousand dollars to the Ministry of Environment for damages, but it’s not over […]
A mega telethon is planned for this weekend by Kim Simpliss Barrow and Care Belize. This coming Saturday, the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts will be the venue for the Inspiration Telethon, a first of its kind fundraising effort through which the Special Envoy for Women and Children is hoping to raise a million […]
The Social Security Board issued a press release today responding to a news story we aired on Wednesday night. News Five had received a copy of a letter, issued to Benque Viejo businesses from the S.S.B., asking them to pay their taxes directly to the S.S.B. to cover a debt of over one hundred thousand […]
A number of city cops were in the hot spots in the old capital; they didn’t make any arrests, instead they were meeting the residents of these areas. As a part of the police week activities, the officers did one-hour rounds on Mahogany, George and West Streets, Lovely Lane, Victoria and Usher Streets, Neal Penn […]
While police cooled temperatures in the hot spots, a conflict resolution training was taking place at the IT-VET with the US State Department and Restore Belize. A team of instructors versed in mediation skills are conducting the workshop, which is sponsored by the US Embassy. News Five’s Delahnie Bain reports. Delahnie Bain, Reporting Representatives […]
The search started after three and lasted for four long hours until Tuesday night. The Gang Suppression Unit cordoned off the area and rained down on the house and business of Winston Smiling and his son, Mathew on New Road. They meticulously combed the premises, claiming they were looking for drugs. The customers that dropped […]
In the west, the sluggish economy is not only affecting the business community but also some town councils. The Benque Viejo Town Council has received a copy of an embarrassing letter that is also being sent to businesses in the area. Apparently the Town Council, under the guidance of the previous Mayor Nick Ruiz, incurred […]
They say man’s best friend is his dog and recently members of the Belize Defense Force, the Police Department and the Customs Department were assigned to their best friends and work partners. Several dogs were donated to the force under the US initiative, CARSI, and both the dogs and their trainers completed intense training sessions. […]
An estimated one billion people have a facebook account, that staggering statistic probably includes you or someone you know. The utility that was launched in 2004 has become one of the most useful tools to connect and it is also used as an effective marketing instrument. This morning Frank Palacio, a writer with local roots, […]
Primary school children are winding down classes so it means that summer camps are springing up and this year there will be many options for kids to choose from. But In Southern Belize, there’s a camp that is getting international attention because it is hosted by the Gotz family from Utah that came to Belize […]
An increasing number of law enforcement officers found on the wrong side of the law have caused the Police Department to come under fire from the public. But there are officers who have gone over and beyond the call of duty. Since 2008, the last set of officers were awarded, but this year as a […]
For the last eight years, Peter Lacey has been working with students at his annual summer programme in Belize City but this year, he is also heading north to Orange Walk. Primary school students in the two districts will get the chance to do a combination of academics and sports. Lacey says the camp will […]
The Belize Tourism Industry Association is having two days of events, starting today with a Disaster Preparedness Workshop at the Radisson. Its aim is to prepare stakeholders to mitigate the effects of various disasters, including hurricanes, for which the season is now underway. The workshop featured presentations throughout the day from the Belize Tourism Board, […]
The fear felt by the pedestrians in Belize City this morning was also equally felt by a group who faced a different danger at sea. Over a hundred tourists got quite a scare after eight this morning as the Belize Glory, a local cruise tender, started to take in water while en route to Bannister […]
The police department has taken a battering from the public not only to arrest, charge and convict, but also to prevent crime. Belize City has also taken an international hit as a destination to stay away from. But despite all the bad press and morning show criticisms, the men and women who wear the badge […]
