The International Monetary Fund has completed its first biannual visit to assess Belize’s economy, as we have been reporting. According to the information from the meetings with various ministers, government officials, and unions, the country has reduced its debt-to-G.D.P. ratio by more than half, from one hundred and thirty-three percent to sixty-three percent. According to […]
C.E.O. Doctor Osmond Martinez says that the economic recovery of the country is due to multiple initiatives. However, he acknowledges that the blue bond agreement allowed for a decrease of the sovereign debt by twelve percent and continues to have a ripple effect. Dr. Osmond Martinez, C.E.O., Ministry of Economic Development “It’s a combination […]
Despite the economic recovery, the benefits aren’t reaching the average Belizean. People can’t afford the things they were able to afford five years ago due to the rising cost of living. It’s a balancing act that Economic Development C.E.O. Doctor Osmond Martinez tries to put into perspective. He says that because Belize imports most of […]
Is the price of bananas going to go up? We have been reporting on the precarious situation in which the banana industry finds itself. The cost of fertilizers has skyrocketed, so fruit production has decreased. Then there is the higher cost of fuel to access the fruit from the farms in the south and also […]
The Forty-fourth Caricom Heads of Government Meeting in Nassau, Bahamas, came to a close today with a press conference. Over the last three days, leaders from the community have been meeting to address several issues. These issues range from regional trade to health, food security, and financing disaster risk management. As we reported on Thursday […]
Discussions at the Forty-Fourth CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting also surrounded the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Haiti. CARICOM Heads today issued a statement signaling a renewed commitment by the community to support Haiti. Additionally, a number of amendments to the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas were agreed upon. The CARICOM Ministerial Task Force on Food Production […]
U.S. Ambassador to Belize Michelle Kwan is almost three months into her diplomatic posting in Belize. And while she has hit the ground running with attending official events that the U.S. government supports, she took a break over the weekend to join the host of Open Your Eyes, April Martinez, on a cultural tour of […]
She’s known as the leader of the Belize People’s Front and as a businesswoman and farmer. Now Nancy Marin is celebrating the first ostrich egg that was laid on her fledgling ostrich farm – the first that is also on record in Belize. It’s possible that other farmers who have had ostriches in their possession […]
Lamb and mutton are restaurant delicacies across the world. The meats are also very popular in the local market, so much so that several requests have been submitted for their importation. Through the Taiwan I.C.D.F Sheep Project, the quality of meats being produced in Belize has increased over the years. Farmers involved in rearing these […]
In 2022, Belize exported approximately thirty-five thousand heads of cattle. It’s the largest figure to date. Today we asked C.E.O. Servulo Baeza whether this year will see a similar output. Aside from removing tariffs to Mexico, C.E.O. Baeza says that the high figures were due to the surplus of cattle in pastures since exports were […]
Forty-five new beekeepers graduated today in Orange Walk. The graduates are from the Belize, Orange Walk, and Corozal districts. The training course was a collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and the CARICOM Development Fund. During the training, the new beekeepers were provided with materials and equipment to start their own businesses. It is expected […]
In case you missed it, the Belize Forest Department is reminding the general public that the hunting season for gibnut, iguana, armadillo and game birds is currently closed. The Department has found it necessary to advise the public in light of the upcoming La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge and Easter Celebrations. This means anyone […]
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 […]
While the Nago Bank Road is the first infrastructure project completed under the Resilient Rural Belize program, many other access roads will soon be underway. These include projects in the villages of Valley of Peace, San Carlos, Trio in the south, Cow Pen, San Jose, San Roman, and a project at Bomba. As part of […]
Earlier this week, a seventeen-year-old American tourist lost her life while swimming off the coast of Ambergris Caye. A Belize Dive Pro Center Limited boat reportedly collided into seventeen–year–old Logan Pratt while she was swimming north of the island. This incident has brought into sharp focus the need for the implementation of better safety measures […]
Captain Soberanis also touched on some safety measures that swimmers and resorts alike can adopt. According to Captain Soberanis, the safety of all concerned requires a multi-stakeholder approach that incorporates robust information sharing and pre-high season training. Captain Gregory Soberanis, Vice-Commandant, Belize Coast Guard “Similar to how we say don’t drink and drink, no […]
The Department of the Environment is conducting a sensitization session on national water quality monitoring. Several stakeholders from both the public and private sectors, as well as N.G.O.s, are participating in the session. D.O.E. expects that through the session, they will be able to build awareness and use of Belize’s National Water Quality Monitoring Program […]
Tonight, Sabreena Daly goes looking for some profound answers. Following the love high from Valentine’s Day, after the flowers have died and the chocolates are consumed, how do couples make the love last beyond the love month? She sat down with two brave couples willing to share their secrets. Here’s On the Bright Side with […]
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 […]
It was day two of shorts in protest of shortages at the hospital. The K.H.M.H. workers once again showed up to work wearing casual clothing. President of the K.H.M.H. Workers Union, Andrew Baird, called the media this morning to explain why. News Five’s Marion Ali was there and files this report. Marion Ali, Reporting […]
As we just reported, the C.E.O. of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, Chandra Nisbet-Cansino, said that she informed the K.H.M.H Workers’ Union President, Andrew Baird, that the letters served to union members regarding their dress code won’t be placed on their official records. This evening, she explained that information may not have reached all heads […]
One of the points of contention between the Hospital Authority and their Workers Union is that there continue to be severe shortages of medicines, supplies, and equipment in the hospital. And when the K.H.M.H. Workers Union circulated their press release on the shortages over a week ago, Cansino responded a few days later that supplies […]
The Ministry of Public Service, Constitutional and Political Reform and Religious Affairs, through its good governance unit, concluded a corruption survey in several departments where there have been multiple and sustained reports of alleged bribery and corruption. We’ll get to that next. First, we asked C.E.O. Rolando Zetina about the case of alleged corruption taking […]
