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Mayor Nunez says that it would cost the council six hundred thousand dollars to repair the Sir Barry Bowen Bridge. That is money the council does not have and the revenues collected from the toll will be placed in a separate account and used solely for its maintenance. The long-term plan is to construct a […]
Written on August 6, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Plans to Construct a New Bridge in San Pedro Town
For months now, there has been a battle between former employees of the San Pedro Town Council and the new municipal administration. The ex-employees have not been paid their severance packages mandated by law. But the crux of the matter, according to Mayor Wally Nunez, is whether they are to be paid for the amounts […]
Written on August 6, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Payments to Former SPTC Employees on the Way
The United Democratic Party remains in free-fall. Despite Patrick Faber retaining his seat as party leader, following a recall convention, the fallout continues within the beleaguered opposition. The most recent rift seems to be between the Collet Area Representative and former Senator Juliet Thimbrel who was also the manager of Wave Radio, the U.D.P.’s political […]
Written on August 6, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Juliet Thimbrel Removed as Chair of U.D.P.’s Convention Steering Committee
The Commission of Inquiry into the fire sale of public assets, including vehicles, office furniture and electronic equipment, under the previous government resumes on August sixteenth. The continuation of the public hearings comes after several months of pause, following a firm position taken by National Trade Union Congress of Belize President Luke Martinez who sits […]
Written on August 6, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Commission of Inquiry Resumes on August 16th
In the time that has elapsed since mid-April, is there still public interest in proceeding with the inquiry? While it has lost some momentum, chairman Marshalleck says the N.T.U.C.B. was the body requesting the resumption of the commission. Andrew Marshalleck, Chairman, Commission of Inquiry “Well momentum has been lost, there’s no doubt about that, […]
Written on August 6, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on N.T.U.C.B. Requests Resumption of Commission of Inquiry
The Government of Belize is appealing a recent decision by the Supreme Court in which the Maya community of Jalacte, including two villagers, was awarded six point three million dollars in a lawsuit filed after the construction of the Jalacte Road. The claim had to do with government’s failure to get the free, prior and […]
Written on August 6, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on G.O.B. to Appeal Supreme Court’s Jalacte Road Decision
The Central Health Region has identified two more positive cases of COVID-19 among employees at the Belize City Council. This brings the total number of positive cases at City Hall to six, including Mayor Bernard Wagner. This afternoon, Deputy Regional Health Manager, Doctor Melissa Diaz-Musa told News Five that while they have detected these six […]
Written on August 6, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Two More Positive Cases at Belize City Hall
On Thursday night, we showed you the snaking line on Ambergris Caye as San Pedro residents attended day one of a land clinic hosted by the Ministry of Natural Resources. Today, we headed to the island town to find the numbers had ballooned in the final day as residents made serious headway in acquiring their […]
Written on August 6, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on San Pedro Land Clinic Comes to an End
Captain Elton Bennett re-takes the helm at the Coast Guard this week after a one-year study leave. Bennett attended the Royal College of Defence Studies in London, which is a strategic-level course for leadership of military service on matters of international security. Bennett told us that while he is in a better position now to […]
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Belize Electricity Limited realized a profit of forty million dollars in 2020, despite the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy. That’s because several factors were at play, including a considerable decline in the cost of power purchased from C.F.E. in Mexico. According to B.E.L. Chairman Andrew Marshalleck, overall sales decreased significantly in […]
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Comments Off on B.E.L. Earns $40 Million in Profits in First Pandemic Year
The Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is recovering after being hit by an object thrown at him during protests against COVID-19 regulations on Thursday. Reuters news agency is reporting that Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves had been walking through a group of protesters on his way into Parliament. Lawmakers there were discussing a […]
Written on August 6, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on St. Vincent Prime Minister Injured During COVID Protest
And in other regional news, authorities in Guyana are working to secure COVID-19 vaccines for children ahead of the start of their school year in September. They already have vaccination legislation in place to help the process. Here’s more from Caribbean Week in Review. [Guyana working to secure COVID-19 vaccines for children…]
Written on August 6, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Guyana to Use Law from 1970s to Vaccinate School Children
The Inter-American Development Bank has approved a loan for thirty million Belize dollars to support the sustainability of Belize’s micro, small and medium enterprises. According to the I.D.B., this program will benefit two hundred businesses in the agriculture, fisheries and tourism sectors which have been deeply affected due to their vulnerability to the COVID-19 crisis. […]
Written on August 6, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on IDB Funding to Protect Employment in Belize
All of 2020, COVID kept us all under lockdown, robbing school children of their summer camps and any opportunity to engage in contact sports. But this year, with proper guidelines in place, one man managed to convince the parents of twenty-six children and the RF&G Insurance Company to buy into his idea of holding a […]
Written on August 6, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Basketball Camp Focuses on Fundamentals and Positivity
There has been a shocking murder on a rural road in the Cayo District. Jose Bolon and David Murillo left home Wednesday evening, but today both families received the sad news that the friends had been found dead, side by side on the route they frequently used to go fishing. The motive for the killing […]
Written on August 5, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Double Murder near St. Margaret’s Village
The COVID pandemic has hit almost every family and business across the world. In Belize, the shock was felt primarily in the tourism sector, but even quasi-governmental organizations, such as the Social Security Board, were not spared. During a Social Security event today, General Manager of Social Security’s Corporate Customer Relations Services, Chandra Nisbet-Cansino told […]
Written on August 5, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Social Security Board was Able to Continue Services throughout Pandemic
And while S.S.B. was able to keep its services running for its customers, it did not meet its budgetary projections for collections last year. Cansino explained that S.S.B. makes these projections based on employers’ contributions from year to year. Coupled with that, S.S.B. had to pay out huge amounts for COVID illnesses. Chandra Nisbet-Cansino, […]
Written on August 5, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on S.S.B. Had a Shortfall of $20M Largely due to Tourism Downturn
The shortfall that Cansino spoke of and the huge payouts the S.S.B. has had to make have placed the S.S.B. in a precarious position. Now that the economy is gradually rebounding, S.S.B. says the planned one percent increase that was deferred due to COVID is needed even more than it was in pre-COVID times. […]
Written on August 5, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on S.S.B. Hoping Deferred 1% Increase in Contributions Can Begin Soon
As many as seven hundred and fifty businesses in various sectors across the country have signed up to participate in Belize Bank’s new E-Kyash platform. It’s an online system that allows users to transfer money, purchase items and pay bills online using a mobile application. This morning at the Radisson, the app was debuted ahead […]
Written on August 5, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on E-Kyash Makes Banking History in Belize
What does the introduction of E-Kyash mean for government’s transition to e-governance? In attendance at this morning’s launch was Minister of Sports and E-governance, Kevin Bernard. He says the new app is in line with the digital transformation of public services that are offered by the Vital Statistics Unit, as well as the Lands Department. […]
Written on August 5, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on E-Kyash and E-Governance; What Do They Have in Common?
Two pieces of legislation, one of them dating back to 1914, are being modernized and consolidated into one comprehensive law. They are the Companies Act Chapter 250 and the International Business Companies Act, which governs offshore business. Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Chris Coye, explained to News Five that under the new […]
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Comments Off on Company Law Being Modernized
The Department of Lands and Surveys is hosting the first ever mobile land clinic, in San Pedro Town to provide administrative assistance to islanders experiencing problems with their land documents. The anticipated event started today and will continue into Friday with an effort to address the concerns of residents who have been unable to acquire […]
Written on August 5, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on San Pedranos Turn Out for Lands Clinic
The country is in its third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic as the number of positive cases continues to rise. As of Wednesday, there are now four hundred and thirty-two active cases, three hundred and thirty-eight COVID-related deaths have been recorded and there are ten active hospitalizations. But of those active cases, only twenty-one are […]
Written on August 5, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Only 21 Active COVID-19 Cases in Corozal
Over one hundred thousand people have received at least a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, while fifty-three thousand have been fully vaccinated. As we found out today, the Corozal District is recording the highest percentage of vaccinations for the country. Dr. Angela Gilharry, Medical Chief of Staff, Corozal Community Hospital “From the very beginning […]
Written on August 5, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Highest Percentage of Vaccinations Recorded in Corozal
The U.S. Government today donated one hundred thousand dollars worth of medical supplies, including P.P.E.s, to the Corozal Community Hospital. But as we found out today, Belize has also been tapped to receive a donation of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines courtesy of the U.S. Government. Andie De Arment, Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy […]
Written on August 5, 2021 | Posted in
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Comments Off on U.S. to Donate Pfizer Vaccine to Belize
