Today, the Community Rehabilitation Department received a generous donation of ninety-five thousand dollars’ worth of information and communication technology equipment. This donation was made under the PACE Justice Project, funded by the European Union in collaboration with the United Nations Development Program. So, what’s all this ICT equipment for? The department is launching an adult probation unit that offers alternative sentencing for low-risk and first-time offenders. We got more details from the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Human Development.
Adele Catzim-Sanchez
Adele Catzim-Sanchez, C.E.O., Ministry of Human Development
“The importance of today is that the ICT equipment is part of a larger project. It really reflects the need for us to improve the support services we provide for low-risk offenders. It is part of a project we call PACE Justice and it is a regional project in the Caribbean and Belize was selected as one of the countries to participate in the project and the objectives are to provide legal education to people so that they can better navigate the system, to reduce the backlog of cases that goes through the court and to ensure that first time offenders have community and rehabilitative service so that they don’t reoffend and at the same time not clog up the justice system by putting people or incarcerating people in prison. It will be for CRD. We will be hiring new people, new community rehabilitation officers to work in the adult probation unit. So we are in the process of setting up that unit. This equipment will help us to make sure we can manage our client database, make sure that we can communicate better with all our partners, including the court, the justice system and the community development organizations, cause we will need community participation to make sure this works well. If we are doing probation we will need to monitor where our clients are. If we are doing restorative justice we will need to ensure our young people can do community service instead of going to jail or Wagner’s Facility.”
We also spoke with Michael Lund, the Deputy Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program. He gave us more insight into their mission to reduce the court system backlog through alternative sentencing options like probation. Here’s what he had to say.
Michael Lund
Michael Lund, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP
“This is a year long collaboration we have had not only with the ministry of human development but also with the justice sector at large, the courts, the police, the prisons, and the lawyers that we have supported in a range of efforts to improve the system, including the backlogs. I think the efforts to reduce the backlog was the Adult Alternative Sentencing Act of last year. Operationalizing that is creating this unit which is the adult probational unit that is being created. This IT equipment will help operationalize that unit. You are able to move away from writing papers, shuffling papers, but digitizing your work and moving more efficient. But it is also reducing the backlog by not sending low-risk, first time offenders all the way through the court system into overcrowded prison, but handling it much early and up front. So, it does not even become a case.”
Among the standout changes Prime Minister John Briceño made when he started his second term was taking charge of the sugar industry himself. Under the previous P.U.P. administration, this sector was managed by the Minister of Agriculture, Jose Abelardo Mai. Now, the PM has taken the reins and appointed Doctor Osmond Martinez as the Minister of State to handle the day-to-day operations. This move seems logical to some, given the recent challenges faced by the sugar industry. While A.S.R./B.S.I. views the PM’s decision positively, the BSCFA is not on board. They were so concerned that they sent a letter to the PM, expressing their dissatisfaction. The association claimed the decision was influenced by an emergency meeting with the ASR Group, a multinational corporation that owns the only sugar mill in northern Belize. They called the move ‘alarming,’ questioning how addressing ASR’s concerns could impact Cabinet portfolio assignments. Ironically, ASR Group officials have previously labeled any government support to farmers as political interference in the sugar industry. Today, we heard perspectives from both sides.
Alfredo Ortega
Alfredo Ortega, Chairman, Committee of Management, B.S.C.F.A
“It entails a lot of economics within the sugar industry, but it’s not only the economics of it. It also entails the daily living of the farmers and their families. So there are many things that it entails within not only the economic side, but also the social side of it, the livelihood of everyone involved in the sugar industry. So we are not against Martinez having that position. What we are looking for is that anyone that is placed in charge within the sugar industry looks forward to transforming the sugar industry into something much better than it is or it was. The recent interview that the prime minister had on Open Your Eyes, I believe where he said that he had to travel to Miami to speak with the A.S.R. group of people. That is where some of the situation arises because we don’t know what compromise he went to give there.”
Marion Ali
“Have you as an association reached out to the Prime Minister to ask him for a meeting to discuss what came out of that meeting that he spoke about then?
Alfredo Ortega
“ We haven’t sent him a letter before because we didn’t know there would be changes in regards to the portfolio of sugar industry until recently when he announced that, so it took us by surprise. But yes, we are working towards that because even though we send that letter to him, we are saying that we would have preferred Mr. Mai to continue as the Minister of sugar. Nevertheless, we have to respect that decision that he put and yes, we are looking forward to inviting him and Dr. Osmond Martinez to have a meeting with them and to see what is their plan.”
Shawn Chavarria
Shawn Chavarria, Director of Finance, B.S.I.
“We see it very positive. It’s in a way a welcomed approach because for us, it highlights that at the highest level of government, they see the sugar industry as critical and for us, we take that positively that, you know, the Prime Minister is saying, look, we see as the government, the importance of the sugar industry and the need to try to improve. I think everybody in Belize knows that the industry is struggling. We are struggling because of climate change. We do have commercial issues that continue to bog down the industry, and so the Prime Minister is saying, well, look, we want to bring a lot more focus to this and try to see how we could try to move the industry forward. He has appointed a working group, which we are participating in that is being led by Dr. Marcelino Avila. And already that working group is coming up with some good ideas and suggestions, which we hope can be taken forward. So from that standpoint, we welcome it, and we look forward to working with the Prime Minister and Minister Martinez to see how we could try to move this industry forward.”
Earlier this month, the mill at Tower Hill finally resumed processing sugarcane after a two-week delay caused by relentless rains and mud-caked cane. Although the quality of the cane has improved somewhat, industry insiders are worried that there might not be enough time to match the output of previous years before the crop season ends in June. This shortfall could lead to significant revenue losses. News Five’s Marion Ali has the full story.
Marion Ali, Reporting
After a two-and-a-half-week break in milling operations at the Tower Hill factory, work finally resumed on March 4th, putting an end to a significant disruption in the sugarcane processing routine. The delay was largely due to bad weather. Now that milling is back on track, the quality of the cane being processed has improved a bit, according to B.S.I.’s Industrial Operations Manager, Stephen Usher. It’s almost back to what it was in recent years.
Stephen Usher
Stephen Usher, Industrial Operations Manager, B.S.I.
“We normally look for purities above 81. We were getting an average of the mid-seventies, which was low. The purity basically tells us how much sugar we can extract out of the cane, and also though, it basically is a guideline for extraction process. So, since the restart, we have seen improvements in cane quality purities. The mud percent cane coming in before that stop, we were averaging 10%. So, every ton of cane that we brought in, you know, 10% of that was mud. We are now back to normalcy where it’s three to 4%. To give you an example, we are normally closer to 48, 49,000 tons of cane for the week. Last week we did 46, 000 tons of cane.”
Alfredo Ortega, Chairman of the Committee of Management with the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association, explained that the weather was just one of the factors slowing down the cane farmers’ production. Parasites were another major issue.
Alfredo Ortega
Alfredo Ortega, Chairman, Committee of Management, B.S.C.F.A.
“One of the problems that we are facing right now that we’re seeing that has not improved the quality of the cane as we want it to be, is because of the pest infestation and the fusarium that was discovered last year in the month of October and November. Now that we are harvesting, we are seeing the problems that the fusarium has caused to many of those cane fields where the infestation has happened.”
Shawn Chavarria, B.S.I.’s Director of Finance, revealed that the mill has produced significantly less cane compared to the same period last crop. This shortfall is bound to lead to major revenue losses, as the industry will struggle to make up for the lost time.
Shawn Chavarria
Shawn Chavarria, Director of Finance, B.S.I.
“If you compare how much we’ve milled the date of 386,000 metric tons, last year at the same time, we had already milled 501,000 metric tons. There’s still ground for us to make up, but as Stephen mentioned, we’re seeing much lower mod levels, which is good for milling, but the quality still has quite a bit of room to catch up and we don’t think it’ll catch up. If the weather allows, we think we can get in all the cane, but we have to wait and see. And that’s why right now it is really important for the whole farming community and the mill to work together along with the support of S.C.P.C. to make sure that we are maximizing keen deliveries while the weather is good because we don’t know what the situation will be like come June.”
While the potential losses are expected to be quite significant, there’s no estimate yet of the exact amount. Ortega pointed out that the two districts are facing different challenges, which play a big role in this situation.
Alfredo Ortega
“Our farmers are spread up between Orange Walk and Corozal and we are in different areas, so the situation and the problems are different in different areas that we are experiencing. So based on the deliveries of cane, that is how we are seeing all the percentage of loss is coming on board in regards to quality. in regards to yields, in regards to growth, we are seeing those effects now. So at this point in time, we’re unable to give a number on what is the projected loss for this crop.”
The sugar crop is expected to close in June. Marion Ali for News Five.
After over two years of hard work, the People’s Constitution has rolled out its third draft report, packed with one hundred and sixty-seven recommendations. This hundred-and-twenty-nine-page document, titled ‘Compilation of PCC Recommendations,’ is based on feedback from more than six thousand, six hundred and ninety public responses. The commission has now shared the document with stakeholders for a thirty-day consultation period. After that, the recommendations will be handed over to the prime minister, who is expected to present the report in parliament. Even in its draft stage, the recommendations are stirring up mixed reactions. Caleb Orozco, the main LGBT representative on the commission, shared his thoughts with News Five today on what the report brings to the table.
Caleb Orozco
Caleb Orozco, LGBT Representative, P.C.C.
“I need to be fair in my acknowledgment that there is a lot of good things in the recommendation reports. One of the recommendations spoke about addressing the right to dignity, another one food security, another one protection of water. These are basic things people need. It also speaks to access to information, establishment of a national health institute and addressing the restructuring of retirement plans. These are things that affect people in the everyday context of their lives. But that has to be unpacked in the context of what they mean in practice. I don’t disagree with many of these things, including the acknowledgment of Maya self-determination. I support the need for self determination one hundred fifty percent because I know what it is to be marginalized as a group of people. With that said, about sixteen of the recommendation I have no problem because it reflects the social contract we have with out citizens. A citizen affected by unemployment, poverty, violence and the list goes on. The problem with the recommendation is that it has been corrupted in procedure and in process.”
As Orozco mentioned, there are several recommendations in the draft report that he finds satisfactory. However, he pointed out at least nine recommendations that he believes are not beneficial for Belize. Orozco argues that the report contradicts itself and the mandate of the PCC.
Caleb Orozco, LGBT Representative, P.C.C.
“Anthony Chanona’s chairmanship was tone deaf from begging to the end. A part of the problem with that tone deaf approach is that white national Christian ideology views permeate the thematic chair process, and it allowed it to undermine the commission’s legislative commitment to address the social, economic disparity among citizens and its responsibility for a comprehensive review. There are about nine of them in all, I have not completely reviewed the area of Senate and Parliament, but there are nine very bad areas I am concerned about. Forty-two and forty-three are interesting. Forty-two speaks of the inherent right of the religious sector to manage their own schools. That to me is a significant threat to the fundamental rights and freedom of young people. Twenty-eight, twenty-nine, forty-two, forty-three, not only undermines, are examples of where they make with one hand and say they give you with one hand. How will you tell me you have a right to education and healthcare and then at the same time create a system that undermines access to the very thing we have. The documents offer an aspirational opportunity to bring change while undermining that change. The document is a contradiction unto its own self and the mandate of the PCC.”
The Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future is pouring over a million dollars into conservation projects across Belize. This fund provides long-term support for initiatives that protect our marine life and biodiversity. Today, News Five’s Britney Gordon was in San Ignacio to meet the eight lucky recipients of this award. Here’s the story.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Today, more than one million dollars was spread across eight conservation projects in Belize, thanks to the generous support of the Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future. This fund is all about creating transparent and inclusive financing to boost Belize’s marine and coastal resources. Leandra Cho-Ricketts, the Executive Director, shared how these grants align with the fund’s vision for a vibrant and resilient blue economy in Belize.
Leandra Cho-Ricketts
Leandra Cho-Ricketts, Executive Director, Belize Fund
“This is our third award ceremony and every year we have a call for proposals. And after the end of that call, we award grants, right? So this year we awarded eight grants. Four were regular grants as we call them, which are range from small through medium, large. So that’s between fifty thousand up to eight hundred thousand. And then we had a new category this year. So for the first time we’re offered community grants. So these are smaller, these are up to seventy-five thousand. We awarded four, and as the name suggests, they were awarded to all community based entities.”
The Belize Fund channels its Blue Bond Funding through two key programs. The Government Strategic Allocation (GSA) is backing the government with over five million to bolster Belize’s conservation efforts. Meanwhile, the Grant Awards Program (GAP) offers funding to non-government partners who share the Belize Fund’s mission. The Director of Blue Economy in the Ministry of Blue Economy and Disaster Risk Management emphasized the ministry’s dedication to using these resources to hit the fund’s conservation milestones.
Felicia Cruz
Felicia Cruz, Director, Ministry of Blue Economy & Disaster Risk Management
“Partnerships are very much important to us and. At the ministerial level, we know that we can do so much more together than a loan. And that really is the ambition for blue economic development in Belize. Strategic alliances that will help our society and our communities prosper. That will help the environment to ensure its viability and its health. It’s safeguarded and of course to ensure that our communities benefit economically from these initiatives, which we’re very much proud of today.”
There are four thematic areas prioritized by the Belize Fund: protection for biodiversity, sustainable fisheries, climate resilience and blue business innovation. Hector Martinez received a seventy-five thousand dollar grant on behalf of the Shark Fishers Association. These funds will be used to ensure compliance with international Shark fishing standards and data collection.
Hector Martinez
Hector Martinez, Grant Recipient
“We set cameras at different locations on the reef three. Three sites on the main reef and three three als. And we are gonna compare that video footage to previous footage collected over the past years. And like I said, the idea is to monitor the abundance of sharks. And we also work strictly with the shark fishers who actually fish sharks, like not lobster fishers, conch fishers, but actually shark fishers. And the benefit of that is that days that we are doing research is days that they’re not fishing sharks. Whether nothing else works, we are reducing the shark fishing pressure.”
Cho-Ricketts highlights that the Belize Fund guarantees transparency by meticulously following up on every project.
Leandra Cho-Ricketts
“We have a very excellent team that’s tracking project performance. We have a whole monitoring and evaluation system and a team that does that touches base with grantees and tracks their progress. But in the case of the community grants, we provide the fiduciary management, so we don’t actually give them the money. We will disperse or not disperse, procure services that they need to allow them to do the work.”
Jeavon Blancaneaux from Creative Imageries Motion Art Studio was awarded a generous grant of seventy-four thousand, nine hundred and sixty dollars to empower women and youth through animation. Blancaneaux is excited to create an animated film that showcases Belize’s vibrant marine life.
Jeavon Blancaneaux
Jeavon Blancaneaux, Grant Recipient
“It will bring the orange economy, we’re talking about the creative sector, bring it to the forefront employing young people, employing women. But we also hope to create awareness through this means in a creative way. So we want to teach about the marine world. We want to teach about protecting the marine world, but we also want it to be in a creative, enter entertaining way so that our Belizean people can actually appreciate what we have in our marine space.”
Other projects funded include lagoon protection, plastic sustainability and Barrier Reef conservation programs.
Leandra Cho-Ricketts
“For the community grants they needed to just meet one of the four. But we were looking for projects that particularly involved fishers, so we gravitated toward fisher proposals. We wanted to ensure we could engage youth. So of course we were looking for projects like that, but projects that really looked at bringing hands-on capacities and empowering those community groups to do actions on the ground themselves.”
On Tuesday, environmentalists and concerned residents of San Pedro protested the Cayo Rosario Project. This large-scale development is planned for one of the islands near San Pedro, right within the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, which has everyone worried. Oceana Belize, along with the residents and environmentalists, is calling for stronger protection of the country’s marine ecosystems, highlighting their crucial role in both the environment and the economy. In a statement on Facebook, Oceana Belize emphasized the growing threats to Belize’s marine resources, which are essential for the tourism and fishing industries that many communities rely on. Although the project underwent an Environmental Impact Assessment a few years ago, Chief Environmental Officer Anthony Mai reassured everyone that the developers have met all environmental requirements so far and clarified that no dredging has started yet.
On the Phone: Anthony Mai, Chief Environmental Officer, D.O.E.
“There was a protest done, yes, but the protest was because people are misinformed. First and foremost, people believe that they were doing excavation or dredging, which they were not and so they were saying that the dredging was illegal, which again, if they do it according to the E.C.P. it’s not illegal. So the current activity is not illegal. They do have permits to do that. The dredging component, if they use the proper – if they dredge following the proper method, it won’t be legal as well because they do have clearance to dredge. The biggest issue, Miss Ali in relation to this project, back then around 2017 was in relation to the fly-fishing area. Apparently, the area is a very good area for fly fishing and so they had some concerns in relation to that because the project does have, I think about 40 over-water structures that has been approved for that island. So, the project received environment clearance in 2018 after they signed onto an Environmental Compliance Plan. Since 2018, the E.C.P has been modified just slightly, not anything significant and some development has occurred slightly. And then they were doing more background information, finalizing the architectural plans, working with C.B.A. to get C.B.A.’s approval, working with the Mining Unit to get permit to the dredge et cetera. So the project now is moving forward with creating the first tier, and I think they had requested permission to build model homes, just some of the buildings, to demonstrate to the public what the development is all about. So they’re currently on site, or they were on site yesterday with a barge and an excavator. They were installing piles for the pier, so they were not excavating, they were not dredging and they’re not doing any of that. And so the D.O.E. did respond along with personnel from the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and we observed that the activities on site is permissible under the current E.C.P.”
Mai said the D.O.E will have a meeting shortly, including with its San Pedro office to develop a monitoring program for the project to oversee it as it progresses. News Five also reached out to Minister of the Blue Economy, Andre Perez, who is the Area Representative for Belize Rural South. He indicated that the entire Cayo Rosario project is now being dealt with fully by all relevant government departments and that a meeting is set for Monday to further discuss the project and to review all the documents pertaining to the development of Cayo Rosario
The Statistical Institute of Belize reported that the Consumer Confidence Index for February 2025 showed a drop in confidence among Belizean households. This indicates that people were generally feeling pessimistic about their economic future. The index fell from a little over fifty in January to forty-six in February, marking an eight point nine percent decrease in consumer confidence. The Consumer Confidence Index measures how optimistic or pessimistic consumers are about their financial situation over the next year. Interestingly, the S.I.B. also noted that the cost of living increased in February compared to the same time last year. News Five’s Marion Ali delves into the latest data shared by the SIB today.
Marion Ali, Reporting
In the first two months of 2025, the cost of living went up by 1.9%. In February alone, it increased by 1.6% compared to February 2024. The Consumer Price Index from the Statistical Institute of Belize highlighted that the biggest contributors to this rise were the costs of food and non-alcoholic drinks, housing, utilities, and fuel. Statistician Jefte Ochaeta provided the details.
Jefte Ochaeta
Jefte Ochaeta, Statistician, S.I.B.
“Under the food and non-alcoholic beverages, we saw that there was an increase of 2.4% and this was mainly driven by an increase of 12.8% in the prices of fruits and nuts as we observed them several fruits increasing significantly, like watermelon, limes, and pineapple cereal products also experienced an increase of 3% as we saw increase in the price of white bread, biscuits, and pasta products. The beverages components of the food and alcoholic beverages also increased with increases throughout the categories, like fruits and vegetable juices by 15.4%, where we experience increases in all the drinks like natural orange juice increasing by 25.3%, fruit drinks, powdered drinks, and also in purified water and soft drinks. In the housing and electricity and water and gas and other fuels. We also saw an increase of 2.4%, and this was mainly attributed to an increase in rent of 2.5% for the period, an increase in 6% of LPG in natural gas butane.”
Interestingly, the Consumer Confidence Index showed a drop in confidence among Belizean households in February. This means people were generally feeling pessimistic about their economic future. The index fell from 50.5 in January to 46 in February. The Consumer Confidence Index measures how optimistic or pessimistic consumers are about their finances over the next year. Statistician Jacqueline Sabal explained that the S.I.B. surveyed 1,200 households to determine this, with the index ranging from 0 (completely pessimistic) to 100 (completely optimistic).
Jacqueline Sabal
Jacqueline Sabal, Statistician, S.I.B.
“The idea behind the CCI is that economic uncertainly or a decline in consumer confidence creates pessimism and reduces desires to spend, while economic optimism encourages consumer confidence and a willingness to make significant purchases and other debt commitments. For the month of February 2025, the consumer confidence index stood at forty-six. This represents a decrease of eight-point nine percent from January 2025, when the index stood at fifty-point five.”
Although the SIB can’t pinpoint why people feel the way they do about spending, Director General Diana Castillo noted that they’ve observed a general improvement in how consumers feel.
Diana Castillo
Diana Castillo, Director General, S.I.B.
“T here has been a general improvement in consumer sentiment. People have been getting less and less pessimistic. And in January, we actually crossed the threshold into optimistic. In February now we saw a slight reversion back to below 50 to pessimistic territory. The general trend has been upwards, but I can’t really say why people feel the way they feel. This just captures how they feel.”
At SIB’s first presentation of 2025, they shared data on the GDP growth for the fourth quarter of 2024, revealing that the economy grew by 7.1%. Statistician Christopher Hulse presented these findings.
Christopher Hulse
Christopher Hulse, Statistician, S.I.B
“Goods and services produced in the first quarter of 20024 totaled one point four, three billion dollars. This is an increase of ninety-four point four, nine million dollars 0r seven point one percent when we compare it to the fourth quarter of 2023 which, was at one point three, three billion dollars. Looking at the one point four, three billion, we can see how that is spread across the three sectors with taxes. Primary contributed a hundred and fifty-seven point eight million out of that one point four, three billion. Then secondary – a hundred and seventy point three million. Tertiary – nine hundred and seven point two million, and then taxes – a hundred and ninety point two million.”
Ronald Orellana shared that Belize did better in the first two months of this year in terms of Merchandise Trade Statistics, which track our imports and exports over the past two months.
Ronald Orellana
Ronald Orellana, Statistician, S.I.B.
“Starting with the merchandise imports, we have a line graph showing how imports have performed over the past ten years for the first two months of January and February, despite a current decrease in imports when compared to 2024, imports have been on an upward trend since 2021. The total merchandise imports for the first two months of the year amounted to four hundred and sixty-one million dollars, down seven-point eight percent or thirty-eight point eight million dollars when compared to imports for the first two months in 2024. In general, exports have been on a downward trend with notable fluctuations seen across most of these years. The total domestic exports for the first tow months of 2025 amounted to forty point four million, representing a growth of seven point seven percent or three million when compared to the same period in 2024.”
Tonight, there’s still no official word on the appointment of the three United Democratic Party senators. Over the past two weeks, the Government of Belize has appointed its six senators, and the church, NTUCB, NGO community, and business community have all made their selections. Here’s a summary of all the Senate appointments made so far and the ones we’re still waiting for. It’s been nearly two weeks since the March eleventh general elections, and the People’s United Party (PUP) along with the social partners have swiftly appointed ten senators to represent them in the Upper House. However, there are still a few spots that need to be filled.
The PUP appointed senators include:
Senior Counsel Eamon Courtenay who is returning as the Lead Senator for Government Business
Christopher Coye is returning as the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance.
Linsford Castillo has acted as a temporary senator and now he assumes a permanent role in the Senate. Castillo is also the People’s United Party’s Secretary General.
Hector Guerra is an attorney-at-law described as a young and ambitious individual with strong leadership qualities.
Rosel Arana and Brittney Galvez are the latest women to join the ranks. They’re set to bring a powerful voice for women and youth to parliament.
On the side of the Social Partners:
The Church has appointed Louis Wade Jr. to take over from Moses Benguche. Wade, who owns Plus TV and serves as a pastor at an evangelical church in Belmopan, is stepping into this new role.
The NTUCB has reappointed Glenfield Denison as its senator
The Business Community has reaffirmed its trust in Kevin Herrera, who expressed his gratitude for the continued confidence placed in him
Meanwhile, Janelle Chanona is back as the 13th Senator representing the NGO community, following a second endorsement. One of her notable achievements in parliament includes chairing the recently concluded Senate Select Special Committee Inquiry into the Portico Definitive Agreement.
This brings the total number of appointed senators to ten. But why has the United Democratic Party delayed in announcing its three Senate representatives? Is there unrest brewing? Party Leader Tracy Taegar-Panton has assured that the names will be revealed as soon as they’re finalized. We’re awaiting the announcement of those appointments.
