And now to the latest in the transport sector, last night’s news about tax exemptions for the importation of Florala’s fleet will undoubtedly keep the bus operators critical about the government’s improvement plan for the sector. While this is a long-standing issue, the cancellation of the permit for Ritchies was a turning point for this […]
Leader of the Belize Progressive Party, Wil Maheia, also weighed in on Ritchie’s case and what he feels is an unreasonable approach by the government to Belizean-owned bus companies. He believes that the companies are mostly Belizean families who have been providing the service for decades, and they should be given a chance to continue […]
On Thursday night, we reported that in late 2021 and early 2022, the Ministry of Finance approved a seventy-percent import duties and excise tax exemption for Floralia Limited to bring six 2022 Yutong buses in country. Since the news broke, Thomas Shaw, the President of the Belize Bus Association, has declared that the Government of […]
Nago Bank Road in rural Belize District was officially opened today after almost nine months of road work. C.E.O.s from five line ministries including economic development, rural transformation, infrastructure development, agriculture, and transport along with agro-producers from the area gathered to celebrate the occasion. With the improved road, farmers will have better access to their […]
Is Floralia Limited enjoying special privileges from the Government of Belize to put them at an advantage in the public transport industry? Things are heating up within the industry as G.O.B.’s demands for upgraded buses become more pressing. Questions and concerns have always been surrounding Floralia Limited’s entry into the sector and whether they have […]
We reached out to Marvin Vanzie for comments, and he informed us that he was not available for an interview with us at that time. He, however, sent a written statement saying “concerning taxation, Floralia paid G.S.T. and environmental taxes in full, which all Belizeans are obligated to pay. However, there was a reduction in […]
We also spoke with the President of the Belize Bus Association about the new standards for public transportation that were made public today via a Government Press Office release. The release notes that road service permits will be approved for three different types of buses. Type A will be issued to premier services with buses […]
Prime Minister John Briceño left the country on Monday to travel to the Bahamas to attend the forty-fourth Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community. Among the topics to be discussed at the three-day meeting are the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, food and nutrition security, climate change and […]
For Belizeans who rely on public transportation for their daily commute, they will find the following story all too familiar. Recently, the conversation about improving public transport in Belize has been at the fore. Commuters have used the mediums available to them to express their discontent, while the Government of Belize is undertaking a process […]
During an interview with Mayor Bernard Wagner today, he also gave an update on a project to introduce electric buses and taxis to the public transportation system in Belize City. The E.U.-funded pilot project, which is being implemented through the United Nations Development Programme, began back in 2018 and is on schedule to come on […]
Despite the “black eye,” associated with the tragedy, last week, C.N.N. Travel listed Belize among the top twenty-three destinations to visit this year. It speaks to the ease of travelling to the Jewel and tourists being able to experience both marine and terrestrial attractions. The article reads, “Lush rainforests, cave networks, winding rivers and rich […]
The thirty-seventh annual general meeting of the Belize Tourism Industry Association was held at the Biltmore Plaza Hotel today. It was an event used to reflect on the accomplishments, as well as the shortfalls of 2022 and the plan for the year ahead. Industry stakeholders were present for the event and News Five’s Duane Moody […]
As we said, several countries are reporting a spike in COVID-19 infections. Over the last seven days, the U.K. has reported more than seventy-thousand new cases. In China, more than one hundred and seven thousand new cases have been reported over the same period. According to Doctor Musa, the BA5.2 and BF7 variants account for […]
Minister of Transportation Rodwell Ferguson provided a brief update on the public transportation industry, in light of changes that will come into effect with respect of an upgrade to fleets of buses that will be introduced in early 2023. According to Minister Ferguson, commuters will observe new buses on the roads as early as January […]
The Belize Tourism Board has to shell out over two hundred thousand dollars in another wrongful termination case, this one brought by former director Misty Michael who was dismissed shortly after the People’s United Party took office in 2020. Michael was reportedly let go after being told that due to the pandemic and its severe […]
There are over fifty thousand people in Belize with ties to Honduras, according to Anthony Mahler, the Minister of Tourism. So, Honduras is a natural market for the airline industry. That is one of the main reasons why Tropic Air now has a non-stop flight from Belize to Honduras. The direct flight also opens a […]
The usage of GPS tracking devices on government vehicles has been introduced as a means of gathering sensitive data from municipal bodies, as well as the Department of Transport. On Monday, a training session facilitated by the Ministry of Economic Development, through the Second Road Safety Project, familiarized users with the capabilities of these devices. […]
The bus operators have made clear their gripe that the government would be getting a grant of three electric buses from the United Nations Development Program, U.N.D.P. They raised their gripe with the media several weeks ago on grounds that they are the ones running the buses, not the Ministry of Transport. Now they have […]
A new law has come into effect giving unlicensed tourist accommodation properties the opportunity to register with B.T.B. and have all their outstanding taxes cancelled. While tourist accommodations are obligated to pay taxes, under the Accommodation Tax (Remission of Arrears) Act, all those unregistered accommodations that have been operating for the past few years can […]
In the normal course, these tourist properties would be required to pay their arrears and penalties upon registration. Director of Quality Management and Capacity Development, Abil Castaneda encourages these property owners to take advantage of the amnesty program as soon as possible, given the fact that there is an expiration date of December thirty-first, 2022. […]
Over two hundred tourism service providers are participating in the first annual Elevate Training Expo being hosted by the Belize Tourism Board in Belize City. The expo is providing tourism workers with over twenty different trainings hosted by lecturers from the Florida International University, and some of our very own experts. According to B.T.B., the […]
The Department of Transport in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank is seeking to modernize the country’s public transportation system. Currently, the program is in its information dissemination phase. Members of the technical support team made an appearance on Open Your Eyes this morning to detail the phased approach to the modernization undertaking. Eric […]
According to Trudy Joseph, the Administration and Procurement Officer, the modernization program will be rolled out in phased. She noted that significant these significant changes to the transport system will be realized in 2024. Trudy Joseph, Administration and Procurement Officer, Department of Transport “We want to do a phased approach. So, we are grateful […]
Bus operators who are engaged in discussions with the Ministry of Transport have put forward their concerns as it relates to meeting the demands of the ministry. These include the fact that they cannot access adequate financing to purchase fleets of brand new electric buses, and that they would need ten-year permits to ensure their […]
The Cuban vessel that reportedly drifted to Belize last week is now the property of the Government of Belize, following an application by the Immigration Department for the forfeiture of the boat. On Monday, sixteen Cuban nationals were arraigned in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court and deemed as prohibited immigrants. While there were no fines […]
