This Friday, the House of Representatives will convene for the first time since the March general elections. There will be a stronger Opposition across the aisle so the budget debate is expected to be fierce. At Friday’s sitting Prime Minister Dean Barrow will table the national budget. The PM has already warned of an austerity […]
While cuts are anticipated in government expenditure, in the tourism industry the GST is expected to be introduced to replace the hotel tax. But stakeholders are not complaining. Since its introduction several years ago, hoteliers were exempted from charging GST on goods and services; instead, guests had to pay a nine percent hotel accommodation fee […]
The special audit of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (K.H.M.H.) has been completed. A former employee became a whistleblower alleging improper procurement practices of supplies and drugs and irregular uses of the KHMH credit card and contracts to international companies. The Prime Minister ordered the audit following the allegations made by Delroy Herrera. The areas […]
A go-slow by stevedores of the Christian Workers Union (C.W.U.) on Tuesday was stepped up to a work stoppage on Wednesday. The stevedores complained that the negotiation process for a Collective Bargaining Agreement (C.B.A.) between the Union and the Port of Belize Limited was moving at a snail’s pace. The troubles go back to May […]
The Port of Belize Limited, however, says that a framework agreement was signed between the CWU and PBL on March twenty-third in respect of the negotiations of a collective bargaining agreement and that they are surprised at the actions of the stevedores and the CWU. The release says, “For the CWU to create industrial action […]
The Belize Tourism Board reports tonight a seven point four percent increase in tourism visitors between January and May. March recorded the highest increase with a historic thirty-two thousand visitors coming to the Jewel, followed by February. With that impressive rebound, the B.T.I.A. met this morning in bi-annual general meeting. Aside from a GST to […]
Green Tropics, a Spanish company, became known in earlier this month when its operations were put on hold for dredging at the Labouring Creek Jaguar Corridor Wildlife Sanctuary. The company has now agreed to pay an environmental fine of over one hundred thousand dollars to the Ministry of Environment for damages, but it’s not over […]
A mega telethon is planned for this weekend by Kim Simpliss Barrow and Care Belize. This coming Saturday, the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts will be the venue for the Inspiration Telethon, a first of its kind fundraising effort through which the Special Envoy for Women and Children is hoping to raise a million […]
Now turning to the courts, another murder trial fell apart in court today, when the prosecutor faced two hurdles she could not cross. The case relates to the murder of thirty year old Gilbert Olivera, who was gunned down near his home on Dean Street in May 2009. It is believed that Olivera was killed […]
The GSU conducted a number of operations today. At mile four on the Western Highway this morning, Francis Benitez, a Salvadoran national was arrested and charged for firearm related offences. He was travelling as a passenger in a pickup truck towards Belize City when he was searched and the GSU found a point thirty-eight special […]
The Social Security Board issued a press release today responding to a news story we aired on Wednesday night. News Five had received a copy of a letter, issued to Benque Viejo businesses from the S.S.B., asking them to pay their taxes directly to the S.S.B. to cover a debt of over one hundred thousand […]
Graduation exercises were held last week at the Salvation Army Primary School. It was a happy occasion for some, but for others, well they didn’t get their certificates because of outstanding fees to the school. This afternoon, however, all that changed because the Mesopotamia Area Rep, Michael Finnegan, came to the rescue. News Five’s Isani […]
A number of city cops were in the hot spots in the old capital; they didn’t make any arrests, instead they were meeting the residents of these areas. As a part of the police week activities, the officers did one-hour rounds on Mahogany, George and West Streets, Lovely Lane, Victoria and Usher Streets, Neal Penn […]
While police cooled temperatures in the hot spots, a conflict resolution training was taking place at the IT-VET with the US State Department and Restore Belize. A team of instructors versed in mediation skills are conducting the workshop, which is sponsored by the US Embassy. News Five’s Delahnie Bain reports. Delahnie Bain, Reporting Representatives […]
The Ministry of Health says that about a hundred cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth disease have been confirmed among young children in Belize. The disease is contagious and viral but fortunately not life threatening. Healthy Living gets the details on this disease and how to prevent your child from getting it. Marleni Cuellar, […]
