The settlement of disputes Essential Services Amendment Bill was introduced at the last house meeting in the capital and it is causing a firestorm. The National Trade Union Congress indicated they were against the amendment because it further reduces the avenues that they have to protest. They indicated that they would not let the rights […]
It is said that water is life. But in modern day Belize, two rural communities water is a scarce commodity and there seems to be no solution on the horizon for either of them. Marion Ali visited Valley of Peace and Cotton Tree Villages to find out what life is like when water is scarce. […]
It seems that almost every week a house in Belize City falls off is pillars. A week ago, Arlene Banner left her nine children at home and when she returned the house was on the ground and the walls were also falling apart. She was desperate and neighbors also spoke of the need for swift […]
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize this past Monday issued its formal position in respect of a proposal to amend the Essential Services Act which would affect hundreds, if not thousands of workers providing services which by law are considered essential and ought not to be interrupted. The amendment was tabled in the House […]
Still on the N.T.U.C.B., it wrote letters earlier this month to the Minister of Housing, Michael Finnegan and to PM Barrow regarding placement on two committees. That sparked Finnegan’s ire because the umbrella organization was invited to be a part of both the Venezuelan Housing Committee from early in the year and according to Finnegan […]
A house occupied by twelve persons collapsed Monday night in Belize City. A few of the occupants were on the veranda playing dominoes when it fell off its pillars. They were shook up and the children inside were traumatized. Pooling their resources, the extended Polanco family realized that they could save a few dollars and […]
While other national issues have preoccupied G.O.B., News Five sat down with Prime Minister Dean Barrow, on a one on one, for an update of matters that may have fallen off the radar temporarily. One of these include the Venezuelan grant earmarked for housing projects. Barrow told News Five the monies are being used for […]
Government had initially invited the Belize Chamber of Commerce and the N.T.U.C.B. to be apart of the committee but they declined the offer. But there has been a reversal of that February position and according to Minister of Housing, Michael Finnegan, the N.T.U.C.B. has out of the blue now decided to join the committee. Finnegan […]
But that’s not all and the N.T.U.C.B. is taking on another issue and today it knocked government saying that it is appalled at the sudden and unwarranted proposal to amend the Settlement of Disputes in Essential Services Act without proper consultation. Furthermore, the unions under its umbrella, only resort to “sick outs” and “go-slows” after […]
The government is proposing amendments to the constitution. Last night they held the first in a series of countrywide consultations regarding whether or not a person may be appointed as attorney general though he or she is not an elected member of the House of National Assembly. The other two amendments dealt with the Caribbean […]
We spoke to the Prime Minister in Belmopan today about his government’s motive for the dual citizenship. Prime Minister Dean Barrow “There’s nothing that, even with the most maligned will in the world, you can suggest is sinister about this. This is an effort, in my view, to remove a fetter that is contradictory and […]
And what does Barrow have to say about the proposal for a non-elected Attorney General? Prime Minister Dean Barrow “Once that person coming from the private Bar is sworn in as a minister, he takes the same oath of service, he is bound by the same laws as to honesty and probity as any other […]
And while one arrest has been made in the missing funds at the Treasury Department, no one has yet been charged at City Hall in connection with the “Under-depositing” of funds. And today the Association of Concerned Belizeans, which has remained relatively quiet for some time came out laying the blame squarely at the feet […]
Hurricane Dean hit Belize in 2007. It is gone but not forgotten. Two hundred and seventy-five houses were completely destroyed in Corozal and sixty were also leveled in Orange Walk and help has finally arrived. Fifty two families in Orange Walk and Corozal Districts, who were victims of the hurricane, received the keys to their […]
A single mother with nine children needs assistance tonight in finding accommodation after her house crashed this morning. The family was at home when the wooden structure caved in. News Five’s Jose Sanchez reports spoke to the distressed family to find out how they’re coping without a roof over their heads. Jose Sanchez, Reporting This […]
Though many say there are no available plots of land in Belize City, there have been developers who have somehow found occasional lots within city limits and pay anywhere from thirty to over a hundred thousand for a hundred by seventy five lot. But Jitendra and Leena Chawla have been able to buy nine point […]
The Southside Poverty Alleviation Project kicked off with a bang back in 2007 with infrastructural improvements proposed for the Collet, Port Loyola, and Lake Independence areas. This includes: the paving and upgrading of roads and sidewalks, improved drainage, and the filling of residential lots. And the current phase of the project, which involves home repairs […]
But Chavez’ Area Representative and Minister in charge of the Poverty Alleviation project, Anthony “Boots” Martinez, says Chavez was rude to his workers. Martinez added that while government is willing to help, people must also be willing to help themselves. Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Area Representative, Port Loyola “You can look on that photograph of that […]
Stevedores from gang two at the Port of Belize Limited are up in arms saying they are expected to function in poor working conditions. The stevedores called out the media late Monday evening and early this morning to express their discontent with a boat they say was not seaworthy for them to board and travel […]
Remember the case of baby Jones, who died under tragic circumstances after a string of unfortunate errors? Well, today Andy Jones, the husband of Cenaida Reymundo, whose horrific story started when she gave birth on her own at the Punta Gorda Polyclinic without any medical aid, sent us further information on the case. In a […]
A lot has been said about a plot of land behind Saint John’s Vianney School in Belize City and now there is a new twist. Attorney Dolores Balderamos Garcia contacted News Five with information indicating that the land was leased to a Jamaica based charitable organization, Ministries of the Poor. During her tenure as Chair […]
We also spoke to the Director of Programs at Hand in Hand Ministries, Abel Vargas, and he told us they don’t intend to engage in controversy over the land, but the situation has thrown a wrench in their plans. Hand in Hand had secured financing and started a three phase project to construct a multipurpose […]
When the Prime Minister Dean Barrow announced last Friday that he expected arrests at City Hall for financial irregularities that brought back to memory, allegations made before the last City Council Elections in March. According to the PM, Patrick Tillett, the Financial Director he appointed, had reported what he deemed to be some serious irregularities […]
The mayor maintains that the Government’s Audit Department has recently completed their assessment for period 2003 to 2009 and found no irregularities. Zenaida Moya Flowers, Belize City Mayor “The Belize City Council has its own internal that continuously audits the council’s transactions and processes. Additionally, the council is audited by the government auditors who have […]
And even if speculation abounds, the Mayor says she is confident that at the end of the investigations, no one will be charged because there will be no shortage. But she would not go as far as to say that Prime Minister Barrow’s announcement last Friday was premature and assured that they will discontinue the […]
