Chairman Peyrefitte also said that there is no report made against Faber or any member of the party. And if there is to be a report, he would take a strong stance against it. He told us today there was a protection order application made against the Leader of the Opposition, but the mother of […]
A bill for the expansion of the composition of the Court of Appeal also went before the Senate today. Here’s what Senators Sheena Pitts, Michael Peyrefitte and Eamon Courtenay had to say on that bill at today’s sitting of the senate. Sheena Pitts, U.D.P. Senator “This bill is a bill that is much needed. […]
Opposition leader Patrick Faber is once again at the heart of a scandal, following a domestic incident involving the mother of his two-year-old daughter. On Monday, footage of the incident during which he flew at a closed door in an apparent fit of rage, was released to social media and quickly went viral. It prompted […]
Move over, Gilroy Usher Senior; there is a new minister of state in the Ministry of Human Development, Families and Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs. On Tuesday, Corozal Bay area representative, Elvia Vega-Samos was sworn in before Governor General Froyla Tzalam as a junior minister. Vega-Samos replaces Usher, who will now serve as Minister of State in […]
Leader of the Opposition Patrick Faber is tonight apologizing to the nation for a viral video in which he is heard acting aggressively towards the mother of his two year old daughter. In the home surveillance footage that was leaked on social media, there is a heated verbal exchange and then the sound of a […]
We also asked Mayor Wagner about the flow of the tax revenue coming into the Belize City Council. He says hard times mean it is harder to collect taxes owed and the provision of services will suffer. Bernard Wagner, Belize City Mayor “Tax collection has been way below average, way below average. Sometimes myself, […]
While teachers were outside demonstrating on Independence Hill, Prime Minister Briceño introduced a motion that, when passed, will see the reduction of their monthly salaries by ten percent. It will also have a similar effect on the salaries of public officers, including those that come under the Security Services Commission, as well as the Judicial […]
Things got heated in the House this afternoon when Opposition Leader Patrick Faber defiantly made his point about a debate on a motion being closed before other parliamentarians had a chance to participate. It happened when Stann Creek West Area Representative Rodwell Ferguson stood up to close a debate even after members on government’s side […]
As previously reported, Belize was unable to meet its “superbond” payment last Thursday, resulting in a default on its commitment to bondholders. During today’s house meeting, Prime Minister John Briceño provided an update on the situation and also reiterated that Belize will not be subscribing to an IMF standby program, notwithstanding its economic constraints. […]
The monthly meeting of the Mayors Association was held today at Mahogany Bay in San Pedro Town. During this session, the municipal leaders signed off on a sister city document with the intent to share best practices with tax and licensing reform, urban expansion and development among others. News Five spoke today with Mayors Sharon […]
And while Bradley agrees there is progress, he is concerned it took protests from the unions to get these good governance reforms on track. He notes this has been a trend under both P.U.P. and U.D.P. administrations. Instead, he feels there should be an ongoing conversation. Darrell Bradley, Attorney- At- Law “One of the […]
Prime Minster John Briceño also spoke out today, courtesy of the Government Press Office, on the ongoing negotiations between the unions and G.O.B. representatives. PM Briceño, who is not in the negotiation room with the unions, says he does get updates on what transpires in those meetings. He expressed disappointment with what he deems to […]
PM Briceño also spoke about the outstanding taxes owed to the government and why collecting those taxes is not a simple solution to the economic crisis. He noted that the responsibility to collect taxes also lies with public servants. Prime Minister John Briceño “Generally Belizeans understand. I think even the Union members understand. But […]
PM Briceño also contended that while there are those expecting his administration to solve the nation’s economic crisis within a short span of time, those most critical have been members of the public service for the past thirteen years. PM Briceño questioned why industrial actions were not organized by those critics under the last administration. […]
There are questions tonight about Belize’s homegrown economic recovery plan after Reuters news agency is reporting that creditors have been urging Belize to agree to an I.M.F. program, and Belize is accusing its bond holders of cancelling a zoom call. When asked for comment today, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance Chris Coye […]
During Monday’s Senate Budget Debate, Senator Eamon Courtenay raised the issue of the U.D.P. administration’s waiving taxes on land purchased by the Nature Conservancy for a period of fifty years. According to Courtenay, this would have yielded over three hundred million dollars in revenue to the government of Belize. He referred to the arrangement as […]
During today’s U.D.P. press conference, Leader of the Opposition Patrick Faber also responded to reports that under his leadership, funds were used from the National Institute of Culture and History to pay off a Social Security debt for a staunch U.D.P. supporter. Faber confirmed that one hundred thousand dollars from NICH’s account was used to […]
Was the former Minister of Education Patrick Faber double dipping from public funds while operating in the capacity as Deputy Prime Minster? Last week in the House of Representatives, the Minister of Education Francis Fonseca, accused the former administration of entering a two year rent contract valued at three thousand dollars monthly to house the […]
Wednesday’s Senate debate on the 2021/2022 General Revenue Appropriation Bill ended in a division vote. All six P.U.P. senators voted in favor of the Bill, as did the Senator for the Business Community, Kevin Herrera and Senator for the Churches, Bishop Alvin Benguche. All three U.D.P. senators voted against the Bill, as did Senator for […]
Inside the Senate on Wednesday, Senator for Government Business Eamon Courtenay went into details about the land agreement between the Government of Belize and the Nature Conservancy. In his presentation, Senator Courtenay referred to the transaction as a “scandal” and estimated that inclusive of stamp duty write-offs, land tax write-offs, and speculation tax write offs, […]
During the Senate budget debate, Government Business Senator Eamon Courtenay raised a questionable transaction made by the National Institute of Culture and History under the previous administration. Eamon Courtenay, Senator for Government Business “We have found out a sick and sordid transaction that took place at the National Institute of Culture and History. A […]
In cabinet news this week, the Minister of Health and Wellness, Michel Chebat reported that to date, forty thousand Belizeans have received their first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is in line with government’s plan to ensure that seventy percent of Belizeans, who wish to be vaccinated, are vaccinated by September. Cabinet gave its […]
Inside the House, the Senate debated the 2021/2022 General Revenue Allocation Bill. The budget reflects an eighty-million-dollar cut for the public service, as well as decreases in allocations for a few additional line items. But, with a one hundred and thirty-five percent G.D.P. to debt ratio, the Briceño Administration is hoping that the austerity measures […]
The joint unions have clearly expressed their intent to continue striking until they are convinced that the Briceño Administration is serious about good governance. But were the unions asleep at the wheel under the Barrow Administration? According to former attorney General Michael Peyrefitte, he had personally met with the unions in his capacity as A.G. […]
And while the former Attorney General is pointing fingers at the unions, because UNCAC tackles several major aspects of corruption, from preventative measures to asset recovery, and even criminalization and law enforcement measures, News Five’s Paul Lopez as him if there was any fear among former government leaders that they might be prosecuted under UNCAC […]
