Last month, residents in a Caye Caulker neighborhood voiced strong opposition to the proposed construction of a petroleum station and fuel storage facility near their homes, citing safety concerns. At the same time, the Caye Caulker Tour Operators Association came out in support of the project. Elvis Landaverry, the managing director of the Petrol Alliance Group Holding Company Limited, quickly reassured residents in an open letter, stating that the project had been thoroughly researched and strategically planned. The Department of the Environment has given the project the green light. Today, Environmental Technician Marco Escalante told News Five that the company had to meet all the necessary requirements.
Marco Escalante
Marco Escalante, Environmental Technician, Department of the Environment
“Because of the location, the tanks were also required to be within a vault – are required to be within a bulk. The setbacks for a service station for, for tanks within bulk above ground would be 15 feet from the property line.”
Marion Ali
“They met all the requirements you’re saying?”
Marco Escalante
“Yes, based on the guidelines, yes, but so even after we look at the plans and what’s not go through the guidelines, we still have to wait for the fire department, you know, because they might have some concerns with the location and whatnot. However, they did provide your no objection on September on October 30, like I said, 2023, and thereafter we proceeded to draft an environmental compliance plan. The environmental compliance plan, as you may know, um, has several conditions within the document that they have to abide by, um, during the construction and eventually the operation of the service station. This would be basically the ECP would establish, you know, at how many tank will be there. They, have to be within a vault. They have to have all water separators, et cetera. And meet whatever criteria, whatever they land, whatever recommendations the fire department also required.”
Back in 2018, when the Belize City Council first took office, they acquired a fleet of new vehicles to help their departments get around more efficiently. Fast forward six years, and those vehicles have seen some significant wear and tear. The fleet, which includes both diesel and electric vehicles, is now being traded in for a brand-new set. Mayor Bernard Wagner announced today that the council is investing one point two million dollars in this new fleet.
Bernard Wagner
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
“When we came into office in 2018, we only had like two pickup trucks to facilitate service for the city enforcement and traffic management. And at that point in time in 2018, we made a loan for 12 trucks for a five-year period. The trucks really did well for us. They performed well over that period of five years, but they deteriorated and depreciated over time and so as to not have them depreciate to the point where you don’t get back anything. What we have done with the existing trucks is trade those back in and in return get these twelve new pickup trucks. Seven of them are diesel and five of them are EVs and so with the trade-in value that we took, it really lessened the amount but the total value here, the 12 pickup trucks along with the three Foton utility trucks really run us about one point two million dollars. We’ll deploy in enforcement, we’ll deploy in traffic, we’ll deploy in works, we’ll deploy in sanitation, cemetery, all of these core departments require this sort of mobility. And so, having, and it’s made no sense for us to have vehicles that are run down, you spend a lot in maintenance, so it’s always good that you are able to trade in and get new equipment, which really take down operational costs.”
Residents of Belize City have noticed that some traffic lights, especially those on Vernon Street, are frequently out of order. Mayor Bernard Wagner explained that the lights were in perfect condition, but reckless driving has caused the damage. He shared more about the council’s plans to fix the current lights and install more across the city. Here’s what he had to say.
Bernard Wagner
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
“ Vernon Street. If only our residents begin to drive with care, we would have less of these problems. Every time we fix that light, somebody drive and broke down the posts. So, that has to stop. And the residents have to be held accountable at some point in time to, to be held accountable to pay for the damage, the cost of public property because it creates an inconvenience for the residents and see you are not coming to us. If that individual didn’t crash into that traffic light, we wouldn’t have had that problem. But again, accident happened. And so we are, that specific light is run by the MIDH. Right. But we have met with them to really, we have gotten a quotation to really get that fixed up. And so, I believe very shortly that will be resolved.”
Reporter
“And about the new lights?”
Bernard Wagner
“The new lights are all working very good. The one on King Street, we are waiting to have the area painted properly and, and marked so that we don’t have any issues there at King and Regent.”
Reporter
“Are there plans for more?”
Bernard Wagner
“Of course there are plans for more. We are looking at hat area by Vernon Street in the afternoon time. I think we have to work smarter rather than harder and having a enforcement person standing on Vernon and the canal side every day is not smart. And so we do plan to put a light there to really manage that area. We look at Western Avenue and its intersection with the George Price Highway. That’s another area that we are looking at. And so we never stop, We are very strong and a smart city and having manual labor. We have passed that now. We have to be smarter.”
Belize City is about to get a facelift! Thanks to the Government of Japan, a second compactor truck has arrived to help tackle garbage management. This generous gift is part of the Japanese government’s Grassroots and Humanity Security Project, which kicked off in November 2022. This new truck joins the first one donated last February, and together, they’re set to make a big difference in keeping our growing city clean and beautiful. News Five’s Marion Ali was at Memorial Park to capture the moment. Here’s her report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The brand-new compactor garbage truck, generously provided by the Government of Japan, will join the first truck they donated. Councilor Kaya Cattouse, who oversees sanitation, says this powerful equipment will help make those messy spots look much nicer and more appealing.
Kaya Cattouse
Kaya Cattouse, City Councilor, Belize City
“The arrival of this second truck marks an expansion of our capacity to meet the growing demands of Belize City. Last year, when we received the first compactor truck, we immediately saw the difference it made. Not only in the efficiency of waste collection, but also in the morale of our hard-working sanitation teams. We were able to tackle more of the hot spots, effectively reducing illegal garbage disposal, and extended file up of trash along the garbage collection routes.”
Japan’s Ambassador to Belize, Nobuyuki Shirakata, shared the practical reason why the donation was necessary for the rapidly growing city.
Nobuyuki Shirakata
Nobuyuki Shirakata, Japan’s Ambassador to Belize
“Japan’s consistent investment in Belize’s solid waste management is bearing fruit and is enabling the Belize City Council existing facilities to become more efficiently operational to provide reliable collection of waste disposal services for the population of over sixty thousand residents in the municipality. Annually, twenty-one thousand six hundred and sixty-five metric tons or over sixty-six metric tons daily of garbage waste is earmarked for collection.”
Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner says these trucks will handle the extra work that isn’t covered by the garbage collection contract between the City Council and Belize Waste Control.
Bernard Wagner
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
“Having two trucks now to provide that service along with our dump trucks really make up, have us operate much more efficiently and effectively. We provide that sort of back end for those areas that people just dump garbage in areas that are abundant. And so, these two trucks really help us in alleviating that sort of behavior in our city.”
The compactor trucks will transport the waste they collect to the Belize City garbage transfer station off the George Price Highway. Marion Ali for News Five.
Today, a diverse group of industry representatives and companies that use chemicals came together for a workshop focused on improving chemical management. The goal? To develop a National Strategy that ensures Belize meets its commitments to four key environmental conventions on managing chemicals that can turn into pollutants. The Ministry of Sustainable Development and Climate Change brought in consultant Stephen Sangster to lead the event. Chief Environmental Officer Anthony Mai emphasized the importance of proper chemical management for a healthy environment and hinted at upcoming legislation to regulate this area. News Five’s Marion Ali was on the scene and filed this report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Today, representatives from various agencies and industrial companies gathered for a workshop that examined how Belize handles chemical waste. Chief Environmental Officer Anthony Mai explained that once chemicals are used, they turn into waste. It’s then up to the Department of the Environment to make sure this waste is managed properly, so it doesn’t harm the environment or our health.
Anthony Mai
Anthony Mai, Chief Environmental Officer
“Chemical has the capacity to create significant environmental harm and health-related harm. So it is important for the Department of Environment to put measures in place to be able to reduce the negative impact that chemicals could have on the environment and to human health. Today we’re here because we’ve hired a consultant to develop the base tool that we would need to guide our direction forward. So we have key institutions here because chemicals stretch across all sectors. Chemicals are used at the household level, at the health sector, in the agriculture sector, by academia, by the private sector, so it involves all sectors.”
Belize is already recognized as a trailblazer in the Caribbean and Latin America. To keep up the momentum, the Ministry has brought on board Stephen Sangster, a Chemistry Lecturer from U.B., as a consultant. His mission? To lead the charge in creating a solid framework for new legislation that ensures proper chemical management.
Stephen Sangster
Stephen Sangster, Consultant, Department of the Environment
“Belize is actually one of the leaders in the region when it comes to implementing these agreements, We have a lot of laws and frameworks in place. We do have some reports that we’ve done but there’s more that we can do.”
Sangster emphasizes that as environmentalists and the legal team work on updating the legislation, it’s crucial to launch an education campaign. This campaign would teach people how to properly handle and manage the chemicals they use every day.
Stephen Sangster
“One of the main things that Belize has done is phased out a lot of the very persistent chemicals that stain the environment for long periods of time. We’re making sure we’re not producing it in country, that they don’t come into country, but there are a few that we’re managing as we go. Things like mercury and DDT that we use to control malaria, those chemicals are useful in our current climate but what we want to do is make sure that everybody is aware of how to best manage the use and day-to-day interactions with these chemicals and how do we dispose of it when we’re done with it, making sure that it’s not leaking into our environment. There is a lot of information that these agreements have provided some technical assistance in how do we manage these chemicals.”
Mai points out that although Belize has a solid track record in managing chemical waste, there are new areas the global community is aiming to improve. That’s where we need to direct our attention.
Anthony Mai
“Currently there are some major international conventions that Belize is a signatory to. For example, there’s the Basel Convention, the Rotterdam Convention, the Stockholm Convention, the Minamata Convention and recently there’s the Global Framework on Chemicals Management. All of these conventions are important. All of them look at chemicals from a different perspective and require different obligations from our country.”
Minister of Sustainable Development, Orlando Habet, said that once the National Strategy is finalized, he will urge the Cabinet to take the necessary actions to implement it.
Orlando Habet
Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development
“I will be taking some of these information papers and memorandum papers to Cabinet for their approval and those that will become the Act and Regulations will also have to go to the House for acceptance by the House of Representatives for them to become the Acts, but very importantly for us is that we comply but also because compliance is also providing human wellness that we need in our country, both for agriculture and human health, and in the broad sense, also for the environment.”
The Department of the Environment keeps a close eye on things, and when they spot violations and find those responsible, they don’t hesitate to take legal action against the offenders. Marion Ali for News Five.
When it comes to tackling money laundering and terrorist financing risks, Belize is leading the pack globally. At least, that’s what the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force’s first-round evaluation shows. Belize’s performance, assessed over a five-year period ending in late 2023, is outstanding. The results of the Fourth Round Mutual Evaluation Report are fantastic news for Belize’s financial sector and correspondent banking relations. The government can finally breathe a sigh of relief, as unlike the Third Mutual Report, Belize won’t be grey-listed this time. This afternoon, the National Anti-Money Laundering Council held a press conference to celebrate this significant achievement.
Christopher Coye
Christopher Coye, Minister of State, Ministry of Finance
“This has been a long road for us. The National Anti-Money Laundering Committee and each participating agency and individual involved have worked tirelessly over the last few years to ensure we strengthen our framework as much as possible even while managing their demanding portfolio. We are deeply grateful for all involved. They were instrumental in enabling Belize to receive the gold standard status that less than fifteen percent of the countries in the world has achieved, having entered the CFATF regular follow up process, avoiding the grey or black list and leading in global anti-money laundering efforts sends a strong message to our international counterparts and business community about the countries commitment to accountability, transparency and regulatory compliance.”
Leni Ysaguirre McGann
Leni Ysaguirre McGann, Director, F.I.U Belize
“Looking at technical compliance we can see that Belize which was assessed against forty recommendations were rated compliant in thirty-eight of those recommendations and largely compliant in two. On a first attempt Belize is essentially best in the world, having surpasses Qatar which would have thirty-two compliant and eight largely compliant after its first assessment.”
Even though Belize scored nearly perfect for technical compliance, only five out of eleven immediate outcomes were rated as substantially effective. The area that received the lowest ranking was the investigation and prosecution of money laundering activities.
Leni Ysaguirre- McGann, Director, F.I.U Belize
“This was the immediate outcome for which Belize was rated a low level of effectiveness.”
Paul Lopez
“How worrisome of an assessment is this to NAMLAC? It does not speak well about what should perhaps be one of the most important aspects of your mandate.”
Leni Ysaguirre- McGann
“Just to put things into context, in looking at how we performed in the immediate outcomes we did an analysis globally of how other countries perform in the immediate outcome. So, we can see that in immediate outcome seven generally which looks at how money laundering is invested and prosecuted is one of the areas that countries have challenges with. So, globally we have about ninety-two percent of countries receiving either low or moderate levels of effectiveness in this area. So, I don’t necessarily think that this shines badly on Belize, because we have fared this way. I think it does recognize that this is a challenge globally for countries. So, this is one of the areas that in terms of moving forward in the fifth round assessment the FATF is looking at how it can strengthen their requirements in countries and what needs to be changed within the framework to address this. So this is an acknowledgement globally that countries need to improve their performance here.”
Paul Lopez
“Can the head table then say how many investigations were launched, concluded and how many is still ongoing and if that data was reviewed as a part of the assessment period? Is there a figure that can be provided?”
Leni Ysaguirre- McGann
“So, I can’t tell you off the top of my head what these figures are, but they are thoroughly enumerated in the report, because all of that information would have had to be presented. The report looks at the number of money laundering report, so it does focus on that. You would see I think maybe about twenty-two different investigations, but it does factor investigations into financial crimes, fraud, theft and obtaining property by deception, so that number is even greater.”
We also wanted to find out which sector in Belize is most at risk for money laundering. According to Leni Ysaguirre McGann, the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit, the assessment pinpointed several sectors with higher vulnerabilities. Topping the list of non-financial sectors are car dealerships and real estate businesses.
Paul Lopez
“In general, what sector poses the greatest risk for money laundering, specifically, in Belize?”
Leni Ysaguirre McGann, Director, F.I.U. Belize
“That is covered in our national risk assessment report and again, I believe when we look at the overall risk in terms of sectors we had identified. Well, I should say when we look at sectors we look at how vulnerable they are and that compared to what threats they might be faced with. So, when we look at the vulnerability of security, we look at the security sector, nonfinancial business sector, so these were areas that may be a bit more vulnerable, and this was identified because these sectors are sectors that would have come on stream in terms of being regulated and supervised later than some of our more mature sectors. So those would have accounted for some of the vulnerability factors. So, there are a group of them that have been identified as having more vulnerabilities than others yes.”
Paul Lopez
“But, no specific one can identified as the top of the list?”
Leni Ysaguirre McGann
“There are several that have high levels of vulnerability, and I can zone in on the none financial ones. To name them, it would be vehicle dealers, real estate, those sorts of sectors yes.”
Belize’s newly designed banknotes are the hot topic of conversation across the country. The fresh designs were unveiled on Thursday, with plans to start distribution by mid-year. To gauge public opinion, News Five conducted an online poll, revealing some interesting responses. A total of seven thousand, one hundred and ninety users responded. Three thousand, seven hundred and ninety-three responders voted that they did not like the new design. Only six hundred and seventy-five voted in favor of the design. Two thousand and ninety-two persons agreed that it looks like the Mexican pesos. Three hundred and sixty-five people appreciated the enhanced security features, while two hundred and sixty-five people could hardly be bothered by the new currency design. The poll received one hundred and forty-two comments and twenty-five shares. We also hit the streets to get reactions from everyday Belizeans. News Five’s Paul Lopez has the story.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
On Thursday, the Central Bank of Belize rolled out its newly designed currency notes at a special event in Belize City. The unveiling was attended by a host of government officials and other distinguished guests, marking an exciting moment for the nation. The public has had mixed reactions to the new currency designs, which now feature the faces of the Right Honorable George Cadle Price and Philip Goldson, replacing Queen Elizabeth II as the prominent figure. These notes also come with advanced security features to combat counterfeiting. News Five hit the streets of the Old Capital to get the public’s take on the new look.
Paul Lopez
“Right now I think George Price deh pan ih belly the turn over, because right now deh nuh the think bout the small people. We discuss bout the port, the sugar, the police, but yo nuh hear nothing the talk bout the poor man. The poor man the tek a lick right now.”
Belize City Resident #1
Belize City Resident #1
“The money we have right now is Queen Elizabeth.”
Paul Lopez
“Well that has changed. Have you seen it?”
Belize City Resident #1
“No I have never seen it.”
Paul Lopez
“Well, let me show you, so this is the new twenty dollar bill. This is the new fifty dollar bill and this is the new hundred dollar bill. What do you think?”
Belize City Resident #1
“Well that is that nuh.”
Belize City Resident #1
Belize City Resident #2
“I just feel like ih look like the Mexican money, the pesos. Ih nuh look good.”
The new hundred-dollar banknote is a tribute to Belize’s stunning marine attractions and aquatic life, showcasing the Queen Triggerfish, the Hawksbill turtle, and the iconic Great Blue Hole as its background image. It also proudly features a portrait of the Right Honorable George Cadle Price. Meanwhile, the fifty-dollar note highlights Belize’s rich archaeological heritage with images of Lamanai, Xunantunich, and Caracol, along with a portrait of Philip Goldson.
Paul Lopez
“What do you think, do you like it?”
Belize City Resident #3
Belize City Resident #3
“Well actually yeah.”
Belize City Resident #4
Belize City Resident #4
“Ih look good to, ih look good.”
Paul Lopez
“So which do you prefer the queen face or we national heroes?”
Belize City Resident #4
“We national heroes because we celebrate independence to, so might as well we do we own thing to.”
Belize City Resident #5
Belize City Resident #5
“The queen face should remain on the money, because from when I was a little girl the queen face was on the money. So, why would they want to remove the queen off of it now.”
Paul Lopez
“Now if I come and give you a hundred dollars with George Price face on it would you take it?”
Belize City Resident #5
“Dah money, suh we wah tek it. But I still feel the queen face should remain on the money.”
Belize City Resident #6
Belize City Resident #6
“I would prefer the queen face still, because I think in the longer run the money might devalue.”
Addressing concerns about devaluation, Central Bank Governor Kareem Michael assured everyone during Thursday’s unveiling ceremony that the value of the new banknotes will remain unchanged.
Kareem Michael
Kareem Michael, Governor, Central Bank of Belize
“I would like to reemphasize that when we put the new series of notes into circulation there will be absolutely no change in its value. Today one U.S. dollar is equivalent to two Belizean dollar. This will not change. The value one Belize dollar after the new bank note is put into circulation will remain the same.”
The new banknotes are set to enter circulation between June and July this year. In addition to the one hundred and the fifty-dollar notes, the newly designed twenty-dollar note showcases Belize’s vibrant jungle life. The ten-dollar note celebrates the country’s diverse bird species, while the five-dollar note highlights historic buildings. The two-dollar note beautifully features Belize’s stunning waterfalls and rivers.
Iraqi
Iraqi, Tourist
“In Iraq we have the president Sadam Husein, but he is no more. They changed that. It use to be all Sadam Husein picture in all currency and they changed it. It is now like whatever is a part of the history of Iraq so they changed it. Nobody’s face.”
Paul Lopez
“And how did the people take to that?”
Iraqi Tourist
“They don’t care, they have to live with it and they take it.”
Paul Lopez
“Because it has the same value.”
Iraqi Tourist
“Exactly.”
Belize City Resident #7
Belize City Resident #7
“Ih the show we pan the money now, the Belizean people.”
Paul Lopez
“You feel ih more relatable now to see a black man on the money?”
Belize City Resident #7
“Yes man. People say the money ah devalue. I don’t understand it. It is just a picture.”
Belize City Resident #8
Belize City Resident #8
“It is what it is. I wah deh pan the side and sih how things wah play out. I think deh bally do deh homework. So I nuh think we wah face no consequences ah it.”
In case you haven’t noticed, it’s January—the month that feels like it drags on forever, thanks to the financial pinch it brings. After the holiday splurges and loans, many are tightening their belts, leading to what’s known as “Maaga Season.” This period forces people to stick to the bare necessities. For the average person, this might mean packing lunch instead of buying it, while businesses may need to offer special deals to attract customers. In this week’s edition of Belize on Reel, Marion Ali found that even vegetable sales at a market stall are sluggish this month.
Melany Yestrau
Melany Yestrau, Owner, Pallet Furniture
“I even started a food business. I sell food at the school now. And still do my palleting at the same time. But not as before.”
Marion Ali, Reporting
You’ve probably seen her featured on our news before. She is known as the pallet furniture lady. Melany Yestrau has been doing pallet furniture for a few years now, but during this maaga season she says that pallet furniture sales have slowed to a screeching halt that she has had to turn to cooking and selling food and other items to survive this month.
Melany Yestrau
“ I’m trying to even do things for sale. Like a little TV stand and a table. But, youknow, everybody wants their little money. Saving for the bills and things like that because of the Magga season. So, things have been a bit hard. The Christmas was better for you? Um. On the pallet? For the pallet, yeah. From the middle of December to the, to right now to January, it’s been very slow that I had to do something to pick up back in, in, you know, to pay your bills and everything. And you know, I’m hoping, I’m hoping this change by this end of the month..”
At this time of year, it is the high season for the tourism industry because Belize gets visitors from North America to visit and stay overnight. But while business is good right now for the resorts, owner of Black Orchid Resort in Burrell Boom, Douglas Thompson says that the visits from Belizeans this month have fallen to just forty percent of what it is during the summer time.
Douglas Thompson
Douglas Thompson, Owner, Black Orchid Resort
“During January, after the Christmas holidays, it slows down in terms of, I guess, the resources that locals have to spend. And, uh, yes, it’s a high season for tourists, but for locals, it slows down until maybe around December. May, June, July, and going in for the summer when we get the diaspora comes in also. But, so what we are doing here at Black Orchid, we are starting a loyalty program, whereby we, uh, folks that normally come here becomes members of Black Orchid. Belizeans that come here, become members, and they have a discount whenever they are here. That, that will be true, so even during the margaret season. They could still come and enjoy Black Orchid.”
And while we do have to eat daily, even the vegetable stalls at the market have seen a scarcity of shoppers, like Annie Aguilar told us.
Annie Aguilar
Annie Aguilar, Owner, WG’s Fruits and Mini Shop
“ Right now business is very slow. I think because of the season, you know, everybody will probably has bills to pay and December just left so, normally, well, this year is more slower than other years. So economic is very right now things are very expensive. So I think maybe because, um, because of that because watermelon, there are two dollars a pound. Okay, and then the customers aren’t coming? And the customers are not coming. So everybody’s just picking one or two things and that’s it. Do you find you have to throw out a lot of your vegetables? Do they expire? Yes, a lot. When it comes to, um, tomatoes, sweet peppers, um, onions, carrots.”
Aguilar projects that business will return to normal in February. Marion Ali for News Five.
