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Joint Unions of Belize Call for Removal of FinSec Joseph Waight

First, the unions said both the U.D.P. and the P.U.P. had not done their jobs properly when in opposition.  Now, they have called out the financial secretary for his own contribution to the fiscal disaster now confronting Belize.  Joseph Waight has been the FinSec for three consecutive administrations.  Despite this, the unions want him out.  […]

The Unions Also Call for the Removal of Auditor General, Central Bank Governor

The unions also referenced the Ministry of Natural Resources which has been famously described as a “hotbed of corruption.”  They called for the replacement of Central Bank Governor Joy Grant, whose critical role, they say, is to ensure that the country does not lead down a path of debt unsustainability and mismanagement.  Also, they are […]

Cutting the Wastage in Government

The press conference held by the Joint Unions of Belize covered its counterproposal to G.O.B. as they fight cuts to public officer and teacher salaries and a three-year increment freeze. But the unions also raised the issue of the high cost of government vehicles and the thousands of dollars in allowances paid to senior government […]

Cost Saving, Revenue Enhancement Recommendations to G.O.B.

The unions believe that enough time has not been given for them to properly respond to the proposals since the budget presentation is scheduled for next week Friday, March twenty-sixth.  They are asking that the proposed increment freeze and salary cut be “put on hold to allow for proper consultations and negotiations.” In its counterproposal, […]

Joint Unions Want Phantom Workers out and Whistleblower Legislation

The unions spoke of tens of thousands of dollars being paid to duplicate public officers in the system. We are told that a social security number is attached, but is not valid, yet a monthly salary is being paid to these phantom persons.  The joint unions are asking for immediate actions by the government to […]

Cabinet Continues to Review of Union Proposals

As we reported on Tuesday, Cabinet met at the House of Culture in Belize City in a marathon session to discuss a range of issues, most pertinently the joint Union’s response to government’s proposals. Although members of the media waited all afternoon for comment, at the end of the meeting, the ministers zipped past them […]

22-Year-Old Belize City Man Murdered on Elston Kerr Street

There was a murder in Belize City on Tuesday night. A man in his early twenties was gunned down on south side.  While the shooting claimed one life, it has left the residents in the area shaken and traumatized. Reporter Andrea Polanco tells us more in the following story.   Andrea Polanco, Reporting Tyrique Gentle […]

Percival Pilgrim Shot Multiple Times in Belize City

And while Tyrique Gentle lost his life on Tuesday night, another youth is in the hospital as the gun violence continued today.  Percival Pilgrim was shot multiple times just before three p.m. on Banak Street in Belize City when a shooter approached him and fired several shots in his direction.  Pilgrim was hit in the […]

Lab Techs Learn How to Detect Febrile and Gastrointestinal Illnesses

Lab technicians across the country are being trained in the detection of severe fever-related illnesses, including COVID-19, using modern technology.  A partnership between the Ministry of Health and Wellness and Baylor College of Medicine in Texas has led to a cohort of lab techs learning how to identify a variety of diseases using samples from […]

Detecting Other Variants of COVID-19

Prior to the partnership with Baylor, Belize’s capacity to diagnose certain illnesses was limited and the turnaround time for samples sent abroad for testing was rather lengthy.  What the technicians are also learning is how to detect other variants of the COVID-19 virus.   Dr. Kristy Murray, Professor of Pediatrics “Before we started this, capacity […]

Elderly Visitor Says She was Duped at P.G.I.A.

Seventy-one-year-old Gwen Jackson, a Belizean-American visitor, arrived at the P.G.I.A. this morning where she was required to present a negative COVID-19 test result.  Believing that the document she presented to local health officials was valid, the New Yorker grew livid when she was asked to take another test which she had to pay for.  As […]

N.G.O.s Call Out Ministry of Blue Economy on Gillnet Ban Lawsuit!

Gillnets will just not go away, although a ban on the destructive fishing gear was signed into law last November. Aside from the nationwide gillnet ban, G.O.B. signed an agreement with OCEANA and the Coalition for Sustainable Fisheries to help licensed gillnet fishers transition to other sustainable forms of livelihoods. But four months later and […]

Ministry of Blue Economy Hits Back on Gillnet Issue!

But tonight, the Ministry of Blue Economy says hold up – that’s not what is happening.  Earlier today, the ministry issued its own press release to counter the joint statement from OCEANA Belize and the Coalition for Sustainable Fisheries and by this afternoon, the ministry had called a virtual press conference. According to the ministry, […]

Unions Flexible to Changing Position, If and Only If…

During today’s press conference, the joint unions also responded to comments made that public service and the teachers have not made any sacrifices. The unions maintain that its members have. But are they being inflexible?  A.P.S.S.M. President Sharon Frazer says that until after all cost saving measures are exhausted and there is still a gap, […]

Did M.O.H.W. Bypass Bidding Process for Vehicle Purchase?

Was preferential treatment afforded to a particular auto company in the recent procurement of vehicles for the Ministry of Health and Wellness?  That is the allegation being made by Caribbean Motors upon learning that a fleet of six pickup trucks had been purchased with the approval of the Ministry of Finance.  The unproved assertion comes […]

South Korea to Help Improve Belize’s Public Transport System

Overcrowding, ticketing, erratic schedules and buses that have seen better days have long plagued our country’s public transportation system and caused headaches for commuters.   Now, Belize may be getting some help from a country that also had to modernize its own transport system, South Korea.  Today, the Ministry of Public Utilities, Energy and Logistics announced […]