The financial plan for 2021, presented by Prime Minister John Briceño on April ninth, will be hotly debated on Thursday and Friday in parliament. News Five’s Isani Cayetano looks at the issues on the table. Isani Cayetano, Reporting It promises to be a robust, albeit severely lopsided affair, considering the fact that the opposition […]
This afternoon in Belmopan, the Belize Police Department was busy placing barricades at the base of Independence Hill to prevent protesters and other members of the public from advancing towards the Assembly Building during the budget debate. While the unions and government are at loggerheads over the looming salary cuts, G.O.B. is taking no chances […]
Public officers took time off from work today to check up on their health and wellness, amid the imminent salary cuts that they are facing. This morning, they visited health centers and clinics across the country to get checkups, as well as vaccinations against COVID-19. It is part of an ongoing series of activities leading […]
P.S.U. Vice President Dean Flowers has been vocal in expressing the union’s objection to government’s wage cut. He has not shied away from making it known that public officers are not happy with their salaries being reduced amid the current economic crisis. That frankness has led his detractors to bring to light what they call […]
Earlier this month, we told you that Sir Colville Young is stepping down as Governor General of Belize. He will vacate the post officially on the thirtieth of April. So Belize is expected to name a new individual to be considered as the next G.G. of Belize. Multiple credible reports coming out of government is […]
Last week, the environmental community came out swinging at the Department of Environment which granted environmental clearance to David Gegg’s Port Magical. They said that Magical will have negative environmental impact, particularly when taken in context with other proposed cruise ship ports. Among these other projects is the Waterloo Holdings proposal. The plans include onshore […]
Lord Michael Ashcroft also spoke about the current economic crunch that Belize is facing. Ashcroft says that the government is staring down a tough decision, but one that must be made sooner rather than later. He put the challenges in context with the unions’ position on proposed measures to say that there are options to […]
At the end of March, Scotia Bank closed, ending more than fifty years in Belize as signs were taken down after the bank was acquired by Belize Bank Corporation Limited, a subsidiary of Caribbean Investment Holdings Limited. Belize Bank is now the largest commercial bank in Belize. When he appeared on Open Your Eyes this […]
Can legislation help to tackle corruption in Belize while simultaneously cutting costs? That’s what Lord Michael Ashcroft suggests. He says that a key piece of regulation that protect whistleblowers could encourage an anti-corruption agenda but that legislation should also protect the whistleblowers against retaliatory actions when they report suspected acts of corruption. Here’s how he […]
Ashcroft points out there are other tools and regulations that G.O.B. can adopt to reduce corruption. One of the measures refers to the “Unexplained Wealth Law” or “wealth order” where if probes show that someone’s total wealth exceeds their lawfully obtained wealth, he or she will have to explain how they achieved that wealth. Using […]
The number of COVID-19 cases reported over the last seven days has almost tripled when compared to the number of confirmed cases reported in the first seven days of April. Between April first and April ninth, a total of thirty-two new cases were reported by the Ministry of Health and Wellness, while eighty-one cases were […]
Public sector nurses are currently operating on a work to rule basis as a sign of solidarity with the joint union’s position on G.O.B.’s proposed wage cuts. The Nurses Association of Belize has also gone on record to say that they are prepared to take industrial action alongside the Unions if it ever comes to […]
The Ministry of Health and Wellness has acquired thousands of Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines from the United Arab Emirates. This donation was not met with the kind of fanfare that was seen during the handing over of previous vaccine donations. And that may be because the Sinopharm vaccine is yet to receive approval from the World […]
A COVID-19 Vaccination registration app was launched today. Currently, it allows people who fall under phase one, two and three to register online for an appointment to be vaccinated. But at the moment, there are no long lines at clinics giving the vaccines and the process only takes fifteen to twenty minutes for most citizens. […]
Climate change requires urgent action from all countries to build resilience against the phenomenon. Back in 2015, the Government of Belize approved a national climate change policy and established a National Climate Change Office, which has been working on developing partnerships and getting the country the much needed assistance and support to adapt to climate […]
As Doctor Gladden shared with the media the findings of a recent assessment on the effects of climate change, we asked about the impact of COVID-19 as it relates to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change efforts. The Chief Climate Change Officer says that both the pandemic and climate change affect vulnerable populations. Dr. […]
The 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, is the twenty-sixth of its kind that is scheduled to be held in the city of Glasgow from November first to the twelfth 2021 under the presidency of the United Kingdom. Negotiating at the conference on behalf of the region, including Belize, is the […]
Today, Herwin Godoy Senior was laid to rest following funeral services at the Wesley Church in Belize City. Godoy Senior drowned on Sunday at the river in Grace Bank and his body was recovered Tuesday morning. One of the men who helped in the search efforts is a lifeguard. Tonight he shares not only the […]
