This week is a critical week for the Briceño administration as they head into budget consultations with the unions. The past and new administrations have had to borrow one million dollars a day to keep on paying the staggering public sector wage bill. At the same time, the Briceño administration has publicly stated that they […]
And with the debate on wage reductions now in the public discourse, following versions one and two of the Belize Business Bureau letter, the Public Service Union expressed their concern about the possible wage reduction. The unions will be participating in a budget consultation meeting with the Government of Belize this Wednesday. According to a […]
As a part of cutting that wage bill, all ministers of government are on a ten percent salary cut. Today, during the Open Your Eyes Morning Show, Minister of Infrastructure Julius Espat shared his personal views on reducing the wage bill. Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure “I don’t think anybody wants to be in […]
As those critical budget consultations continue, the Briceño administration is hoping for compromise from the unions. The new administration, still within its first one hundred days in office, must figure out how to dig the country out of the massive financial crises that they have inherited. In responding to a question about norteños feeling abandoned […]
Today, the People’s United Party announced that all of its nine municipal slates for the March third elections had been finalized. The final rounds of conventions for the municipal elections were held in the south over the weekend. On Saturday, one hundred and twenty-four delegates participated in Punta Gorda’s convention and elected mayoral candidate, Charles […]
A new mayoral candidate has emerged in the capital city. Today, Ralston Frazer launched his candidacy as an independent mayoral candidate for Belmopan. Frazer has served as a U.D.P. councilor and deputy mayor of Belmopan, and more recently, as the city administrator. The now-independent candidate believes that his two terms in Belmopan City Hall have […]
Things are heating up in the north in Corozal, where on March third voters will simultaneously select a new area rep for the Corozal Bay division and town council. That northern town currently has a P.U.P. council; led by Rigoberto Vellos. Vellos says their goal is to retain control over the local government, forging political […]
And it is now official – Elvia Vega-Samos is the P.U.P. standard-bearer that will be going head-to-head against Hilberto Campos of the U.D.P. for Corozal Bay. The division was left vacant by former area rep, David Vega, who died one month after being elected to the post. The by-election will be held simultaneously on March […]
Several persons had applied for the job to replace now deceased David “Dido” Vega as Corozal Bay area rep for the People’s United Party. But on Saturday night, the national executive of the P.U.P. came out en masse to officially endorse Elvia Vega-Samos as its new standard-bearer. Party Leader and Prime Minister John Briceño was […]
The House of Representatives met today in a regular session where several bills were tabled for a second reading. Before getting into those proposed pieces of legislation that include an amendment to the Finance and Audit (Reform) Act, there are new developments regarding Belize Infrastructure Limited. The special purpose vehicle established under the Barrow administration […]
According to Minister Espat, the investigation shockingly revealed that records of BIL’s financials were purposely purged – as in destroyed – for the period before 2019/2020. Legally, all companies are required to keep a record of their financials for six years. So, when BIL purged its previous records as they claim they did not have […]
The Border Management Agency, which is tasked with overseeing operations at various frontier points, including the western and northern borders, is another hotbed of corruption. A recent investigation conducted by the Ministry of Tourism and Diaspora Relations, which includes the Border Management Agency, has unearthed a series of improprieties where public finances were abused. According […]
Pointing to one example of gross financial abuse, Minister Mahler said that a whopping four hundred and sixty-six thousand dollars was paid for a faulty IT network at one of the agency’s offices. According to Mahler, all the IT expert needed to do was simply plug out and reconnect a cable to render the network […]
Government’s COVID Cash Transfer Program commences next week as an initiative to financially assist roughly twenty-five thousand families that are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Its rollout complements existing programs such as the Ministry of Human Development’s Grocery Bag. In explaining the purpose of the Cash Transfer, Prime Minister John Briceño pointed out that the […]
The Ministry of Home Affairs will introduce a new National Crime Fighting Strategy by mid-February. The Belize Police Department will implement the plan of action to tackle the scourge of violent crimes across the country. The strategy will also look closely at the issue of domestic abuse since incidents of such offenses have gone up […]
A dubious land transaction in Port Loyola that took place just before the November eleventh General Elections has deprived many residents of an opportunity to acquire properties from the Government of Belize. Title for a tract of land equivalent to eight house lots was reportedly transferred into the possession of a well-known political operative in […]
Adjusting to the inconveniences brought about by the pandemic means that House meetings will be held virtually very soon. This morning, The Prime Minister tabled a motion in the House of Representatives for meetings to be held via Zoom or another virtual platform. It’s the direction that board meetings have been forced to take in […]
There was a testy exchange in the House this morning where Cayo South Area Representative Julius Espat got into a tiff with Mesopotamia Area Rep Shyne Barrow. The heated back and forth led the House Speaker to get on her feet to bring the exchange under control. It’s a rare occasion when the Speaker has […]
The Public Accounts Committee will be expanded to include three social partner senators. The government will introduce a statutory instrument to reconstitute the membership in parliament on Friday. The Public Accounts Committee will now be comprised of four members from government, two members from the opposition and three social partners to be nominated by the […]
With a new constitution of the Public Accounts Committee, it is expected that the working group will hit the ground running. But where does it begin and what is the scope of its responsibilities? It’s a question that the incoming chairperson is also openly asking, in the context of moving forward with the work of […]
He is twenty years old and Patrick Williams is entering politics. He says that he closely monitored the campaign trail of the two major parties for weeks, but it was the Belize Progressive Party that caught Williams’ attention. He is running for the municipal elections under the green banner and says he has chosen to […]
The next round of municipal elections is exactly one month away. And while it doesn’t normally attract the level of campaign fanfare and prominence as the general elections, these local elections are important as they directly impact the quality of life of those who live in urban areas. According to the Elections and Boundaries Department, […]
A new Elections and Boundaries Commission held its inaugural meeting today, despite its members not being formally sworn-in to office. As we reported on Tuesday, the E.B.C. is being chaired by Senior Counsel Oscar Sabido who replaces fellow attorney Estevan Perrera in that post. Joining him as members of the newly formed Commission are Orlando […]
It was a crusade led by the Belize National Teachers Union in 2016 that the then Government was forced to sign unto the United Nations Convention against Corruption. Teachers held an eleven-day strike until their demands were met. UNCAC has yet to be fully implemented, and as B.N.T.U. National President Elena Smith told News Five, […]
When they were in opposition, the People’s United Party heavily criticized the Barrow Administration for its nepotism. But the Briceño Administration is now attracting similar criticisms. The Belize National Teachers Union has noticed. National President Elena Smith describes the nepotistic appointments and says that only a small group of people are benefitting. Elena Smith, […]
