The Briceno administration is making good on its word, following an announcement on September third, that government would be working to restructure its external indebtedness by retiring all of its U.S. dollar bonds due in 2034. This would bring some finality to Belize’s crushing Super Bond. By entering into an agreement with The Nature Conservancy, […]
The conservation component includes the setting aside of key areas in the country that will be designated for protection and management. A majority of those areas, according to Prime Minister Briceno, fall within the Bacalar Chico National Park near northern Ambergris Caye. Prime Minister John Briceno “The new areas to be designated by Belize […]
The Briceno administration, after having introduced a new budget for the fiscal year 2021 at the end of March, has tabled a bill that would make way for an act to appropriate additional sums of money for use within the existing financial calendar. It was the first of two proposed laws described as General Revenue […]
Prime Minister John Briceno explains that the need for additional monies arises from the previous administration not adjusting for the decline in revenue during the 2020 fiscal year. As for the so-called sparse details that were presented with the first supplementary bill, the Minister of Finance castigated the Leader of the Opposition for those comments. […]
Former Central Bank Governor Gustavo Manuel Vasquez demitted office abruptly in mid-August when his appointment as head of Belize’s monetary authority was canceled by the Governor-General. Vasquez succeeded Ambassador Joy Grant on April first and, during his short-lived tenure, was unable to see eye-to-eye with the bank’s board of directors. Vasquez’s sudden departure meant that […]
The scourge of violent crimes across the country that continues to threaten citizen security remains an issue of national importance. The number of gang-related incidents that are being recorded on a daily basis is cause for concern and that enduring problem is not lost on the former Leader of the Opposition. Today he asked for […]
A police officer is being accused of shooting an eighteen year old from Belize City in the stomach. The victim is Jason Smith, and according to witnesses a police officer shot him indiscriminately. But, an official police report says officers were conducting a search on several male individuals in an open lot behind the Zoe […]
On Monday night, security guard Andy Smith lost his life in a traffic accident up north. Around 9:45 p.m., Smith was travelling in a Nissan pathfinder heading towards Orange Walk but lost control of the vehicle between miles forty-five and forty-six on the Philip Goldson Highway. The fifty-eight-year-old was found dead about ten feet away […]
Family, friends and medical professionals are at this time praying and hoping for pediatrician, Dr. Cecilio Eck, who is tonight critically ill with COVID. The pediatrician’s illness is a massive blow to the profession and the many little patients he treated over the years. Internist Dr. Fernando Cuellar spoke to us today about his colleague who […]
Drivers who use premium gasoline need to prepare themselves for a price hike on Wednesday. The Ministry of Finance announced today that the pump price of premium gasoline will increase by thirty-five cents from $11.76 to $12.11 per gallon. The prices for regular gasoline, kerosene and diesel will remain unchanged. According to GOB, the price change reflects the current demand and supply conditions of crude […]
With all the shipping problems in the US news recently, News Five wanted to find out if Belizeans can expect problems with our own supply chains, especially for the upcoming holiday shopping. It is an important question because in 2020, Belize imported over one point five billion dollars in goods. Just about half of these […]
News Five also spoke to Vice President at the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Marcello Blake, on what the business community is saying about the state of the global supply chain as we enter the holiday season. Marcello Blake, VP, BCCI “At this point our members have not reach out indicating anything to […]
Neither Vice President Blake nor CEO Lane anticipate there will be any significant delays in getting those Christmas items delivered to Belize on time. It is also not expected that your supermarket shelves will run low on supplies for your Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. While your favorite brands may be not be as plentiful, Belizeans […]
And while Belizeans can rest at ease knowing the local market is at no immediate risk to international events, the supply chain could be interrupted by local factors. Today, Port of Belize Limited entered into negotiations with its stevedores over a sugar redundancy package. As was reported before, stevedores are requesting compensation for the income […]
The first ever recipient of the Dame Minita Gordon Scholarship at Galen University is Santa Elena resident and talk show personality, Casiana Lind. Lind, a graduate of Sacred Heart Junior College, is being afforded the opportunity to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education with minors in Belizean History and Social Studies. While the full […]
The Investment Policy and Compliance Unit at the Ministry of Investment is upgrading how business is conducted in Belize. Director of the Unit, Lincoln Blake told News Five today that the new policy looks at much more than just protection for investors and that Belize abides by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force. Lincoln […]
The Investment Policy amendments presented today are timely as Belize’s first Investment Summit is scheduled to begin in just two weeks in San Pedro. That event is expected to draw interest from investors not only from Belize, but also from the region. Lincoln Blake, Dir., Investment Policy & Compliance Unit “Belize needs a push […]
This week during Coastal Awareness Week there is a series of activities, including virtual sessions and panel discussions. Included among these was a session on the Ministry of Blue Economy, which is the first for the region. The mission is to have a productive, resilient and vibrant blue economy in Belize that is contributing substantially […]
UN Sustainable Development Goal number fourteen entitled “Life Below Water” speaks to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and the marine resources for sustainable development. A recent report shows that more needs to be done to protect marine resources. But there are many challenges. Marine pollution, port and shipping sustainability are among the issues […]
