Later today, San Ignacio will celebrate the inauguration of a brand-new boardwalk and public space. You might remember that the groundbreaking took place just before the March 6th municipal elections. Since then, Area Representative Orlando Habet and the Belize Tourism Board have worked together to complete the project. However, Mayor Earl Trapp has voiced some concerns, noting that Town Hall was left out of the planning and execution process for the boardwalk and the adjoining marketplace.
Orlando Habet
Orlando Habet, Area Representative, Cayo Northeast
“I think it’s very disingenuous coming from the mayor, to say something like that because way back in February, we did inform him and he was against it. Matter of fact he went in the media and said that he was not informed and eventually he went back and said he had a meeting with minister Mahler saying that minister Mahler was supporting him. Something to that effect. Well after that we decided that we wanted to speak to him and he went out there with his architect and we looked at the area, we showed him the design. And he said fine, it looks good. Let’s do it. I think part of the problem that the mayor has is that he wants to be involved in the collection of the monies for the rent of the four little kiosk that we have but the rental of the kiosks will be put into a fund for the maintenance of the kiosks because the boardwalk is made out of lumbar and lumbar needs constant maintenance. Another thing is I think that he was hoping, and many of his followers were hoping that floods would have taken the boardwalk. Well it has now withstood maybe the second of the largest flood events that we have experienced in the last twenty-five or thirty years. And it is still there, it was covered many many feet above the roof. It is still there, it has been washed, it has been prepared, it is ready for inauguration. Again, very disingenuous because yesterday morning at about eight thirty, the mayor called me and told me that he wanted to speak to me about the management if the boardwalk. I said listen, I’m going to a meeting but as soon as I get out of it, in the afternoon or tomorrow, which is today, I will call you to explain to you what we are doing.”
Residents and business owners on Faber’s Road in Belize City are up in arms over the recent redlining of a section of the road. The new no-parking zone, stretching from Central American Boulevard to the Faber’s Road Police substation, has caused quite a stir. Business owners are worried that the inconvenience will drive away customers, while homeowners are left scrambling for parking spots. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with more details.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Parking on Faber’s Road has become a nightmare for residents and business owners. Since last month, the stretch from Central American Boulevard to the police substation has been redlined, and those who used to park there are now getting ticketed. This change has left everyone scrambling for parking spots and feeling frustrated.
Allessia Santiago
Allessia Santiago, Resident
“My daughter bring the vehicle every night when she come from work and she park ova soh and then da mawnin, she left. Police mi come last night and ih put ah ticket and like fifteen minutes afta dat, she mi di look weh fi move the vehicle cause she noh know weh paat fi move di vehicle. So ney come back and start ro halla atta ney and tell ney wa bring the vehicle fi haul it. Fi move it. Well my daughter no want that happened so we di try figure out weh fi do.”
Earlier this year, Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner announced plans to redline the entire stretch up to Rio Grande Crescent. This move aims to tackle the issue of derelict vehicles cluttering the area.
Bernard Wagner
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City (File: June 25th, 2024)
“We are looking through our traffic committee and are putting together some sort of recommendation, where we will look at really redlining that entire stretch up to, I think Rio Grande Crescent. But we will – we have done a study for all the residential homes along the Faber’s Road and in that study, our city planner found that there are spaces for people to park on the area that is owned by the city for most of the homes. So we are looking to pass a required S.I after the consultations with the residents in that area in the Faber’s Road area. But we are looking to redline that entire stretch right from the Boulevard.
Residents point to the wide sidewalk as one of the problems. A few years ago, the road was reconstructed, limiting the amount of road space.
Voice of Faber’s Road Resident
Voice of Faber’s Road Resident
“I think the problem started when we spent eight million on a street so thin, when we actually have enough space that we could have made this road much wider. And even the sidewalk to see the sidewalks is so wide that three people who can walk abreast. Having the sidewalks a foot thinner would have alleviate a lot of the problem that we’re having with vehicle passing each other. ”
Business owners are feeling the pinch, worried that the lack of parking will scare away their customers. One resident suggested a potential solution: allowing parking during specific time windows.
Voice of Faber’s Road Resident
“I da understand wa six to six but weh da si sense ah yo come give people ticet akl ten eleven da night. When people inna ney bed. Got big siren on di blow. Mek lotta npise the come knows pan your door fi give yo ticket.”
Faber’s Road was originally designed to ensure smooth movement for cargo trucks coming from the Port of Belize. However, with so many vehicles parked for long periods, it became increasingly hazardous for these trucks to navigate. The congestion also slowed down traffic flow. City Councilor Eluide Miller explained that, based on recommendations from the Traffic and Planning Departments, banning parking on the road was deemed the best solution to address these issues.
Eluide Miller
Eluide Miller, Traffic Management, Belize City Council
“I think we went as far as taking one of the residents to court because he was conducting a business of some sort along the stretch, which was causing issues. And the court delivered a judgment that he was failing to abate a public nuisance, right? And he was required to move those vehicles. He proceeded to move some of the vehicles. Months later, the vehicles came back, right? And so it’s not for a lack of efforts on the council’s end. We’ve tried everything in our power to not have to get to this point, but we have come to the realization that this is the only thing that will have them act in a way that is not inconveniencing the public. Our residents and all those who traverse the area on a daily basis. We have to prioritize your safety. We can’t sacrifice the masses for the sake of a few residents who insist on being inconsiderate and not abide by the law.”
The City Planning Unit carried out a study to assess how the redlining would affect residents and business owners. They meticulously analyzed each parcel to evaluate parking availability and impact.
Carla Patnett
Carla Patnett, City Planner
“Each one of the parcels were not a hundred percent, have a hundred percent occupancy, meaning that there is space on the private property for residents to park. Also along Faber’s Road, there is public reserve in front of each one of the parcels. In different sectors of the stretch of Faber’s Road, there are different widths, but there is also space if the resident has more than one vehicle to park in their property and there’s an overflow, there’s public space where there’s there is that capacity. And so we took photos from the front, from the side in order to, to evidence that there is sufficient parking and the residents are able to park inside the property.”
To address concerns from businesses about losing customers, the council has agreed to permit brief parking periods throughout the day. They also emphasized that any residents with additional concerns are welcome to reach out and discuss ways to improve the parking situation. Britney Gordon for News Five.
The Belize Government Lotteries raked in nearly six million dollars in profit from December first, 2023, to March thirty-first, 2024. This comes from an independent audit by Moore Belize LLP. The auditors aimed to ensure the financial statements were accurate and free from significant errors or fraud, and to provide their professional opinion in a report. So far in 2024, lottery sales have hit a whopping thirty-six point one million dollars. On the flip side, the company has shelled out twenty-five million, three hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars in prize winnings.
This Christmas, you can look forward to some serious savings thanks to the government’s GST waiver on a wide range of items, from groceries and home appliances to building materials and more. However, there are a few exceptions to this festive offer. Deputy Director General of the Belize Tax Department, Vilma Broaster, has outlined the goods and services that aren’t included. She also reminded retailers to clearly show the GST fee on their prices, so customers can see on their receipts that they weren’t charged.
Vilma Broaster, Deputy Director General, Belize Tax Department
“It does not apply to the service industry. So people in the service industry are narrowly where your goods are, where your service is taxable. This legislation does not apply. It also does not apply to goods on consignment or others sold on a wholesale basis, the supply of goods on credit installment and higher purchase. Others for goods that are not in stock. The supply of motor vehicles, gasoline, LPG, and diesel, guns, ammunition, cigarettes, and alcoholic beverages. Persons had asked whether or not Motorcycle was exempted, and the answer is no, they are not exempted. They fall on the motor vehicles day as well as mobile phone top-ups and plans are classified as services and so these will not be exempted. Retailers are reminded that the price must be GST inclusive, so, your price displayed must reflect the GST so that the final consumer can actually see indeed that you are removing the GST from the product. So, we have a television as we had indicated value that 1125 GST inclusive. So, the consumer will then only pay a thousand dollars when they go to make that purchase on those days that we have designated as exempted days.”
Although the GST waiver won’t cover the previously mentioned items over the next two weekends, it does include vehicular parts. For those planning to buy hams, the waiver applies to picnic hams, ham legs, and imported turkey throughout December. Deputy Director General Vilma Broaster provides all the dates and details to clear up any confusion.
Vilma Broaster
Vilma Broaster, Deputy Director General, Belize Tax Department
“The car, the parts are exempted. So, if you buy on those days. So if I want to go and I want to buy a battery for my vehicle, I need to buy struts for my vehicle, you will be able to get that exemption once it’s on those days that you’re doing the purchase. It’s just the motor vehicles that you cannot include. The waiver does apply to all once it on it for the imported seafood or your other imported meats. It will apply on the days of the 14th, the 15th, the 21st and the 22nd. So, it will apply on those days. The imported hams, local hams, all of December the waiver will apply.
When the CPI goes up, it means prices are rising on average, signaling inflation. If it drops, prices are falling, indicating deflation. The CPI is a handy tool for gauging the economy’s health and figuring out how much more or less money people need to keep up their standard of living. This year, Belmopan saw the biggest spike in prices for goods and services from January to October, while Punta Gorda had the smallest increase. Crespo further broke down the three-point-five percent rise across different categories, giving us a clearer picture of where these changes are happening.
Jaime Crespo
Jaime Crespo, Statistician, S.I.B.
“Looking at the housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, prices went up by 2. 3%. This was mainly due to a 2.2 percent increase in house rental costs. Higher prices were recorded for Belmopan, Belize, San Ignacio, Corozal, Orange Walk, and Independence. On the other hand, liquefied petroleum gas decreased by 2.4%. Now, let’s look at how monthly LPG prices have been changing over the past five years. From 2029 to 2024, we can observe that prices have been very volatile. The average price for LPG in 2020 in 2019 was around 116 Belize dollars per hundred, and then there was a sharp decline until mid-2020. After that, LPG prices reached its highest point in early 2022 at an amount of 150 Belize dollars per 100 pounds, and then prices have been steadily decreasing. By late 2024, prices have been normalized in levels like what was recorded in most of 2019.”
Fresh stats from the Statistical Institute of Belize reveal some positive trends: the economy grew, the labor force expanded in September, unemployment dropped, and poverty levels decreased in the third quarter of this year. This overall growth spans all sectors, including agriculture, which had been struggling in previous quarters. The S.I.B. shared detailed figures today, explaining how they calculated the impressive two-point-one percent unemployment rate. News Five’s Marion Ali attended the presentation and filed this report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Belize’s economy saw a solid six-point-six percent growth in the third quarter of 2024, with all sectors, including agriculture, bouncing back after previous struggles. This upbeat news comes from the latest stats by the Statistical Institute of Belize (S.I.B.). Today, the institute broke down the performance of various categories from July to October, comparing them to the same period in 2023. The total value of goods and services produced in the third quarter hit $1.23 billion, which is $75.6 million more than the same period last year. Interestingly, the data also shows zero percent inflation compared to 2023. S.I.B. Director General Diana Castillo explained to reporters how they arrived at these figures.
Diana Castillo-Trejo
Diana Castillo-Trejo, Director-General, S.I.B.
“Sometimes we have a situation where in a particular municipality or even at the national level you have prices go up, some go down, so without looking in great detail at what might be happening in that particular municipality I can’t really say but it happens from time to time. It doesn’t mean that prices were completely stable. It just means that what went up and what went down offset each other. Ten years ago I would say that inflation was much more stable, but this has to do with a lot of the external shocks and factors that we have been experiencing not just in Belize but globally.”
The unemployment rate is now down to two-point-one percent. We asked Castillo to shed some light on this, especially since it seems to contradict what the average person on the street is experiencing.
Diana Castillo-Trejo
“ We have a specific definition for who falls within the labor force and who is classified as unemployed. So to be classified as unemployed, a person obviously has to be without work, but they also have to be available to work and looking for work. Now you have persons who are outside of the labor force, so about forty-five percent of the working age population is not at all in the labor force. And so this is where I think people are seeing that there are persons who are not working, they are not engaged in productive activity, and that is where the disconnect between the unemployment rate, which is those persons who are not working but they are looking for work, versus persons who are not engaged in productive activity, but they’re not looking, they’re not available, etc.”
On the poverty level index for September, Statistician Christian Orellana said that twenty-two-point one percent of the population was poor.
Christian Orellana
Christian Orellana, Statistician, S.I.B.
“In September 2024, eighty-nine thousand, eight hundred and seventy-four persons among twenty- thousand, five hundred and sixty-two households were considered to be multi-dimensionally poor. We now compare the 2023 N.P.I. results to the 2024 N.P.I. results. A decrease of four-point-three percentage point was observed for the incidents. This is a result of fourteen thousand and seventeen individuals among three thousand, five hundred and thirty-four households coming out of being multidimensional poor. Notably due to a decrease in the share of the poor population that experienced deprivations in areas such as improved sanitation, access to internet, and dependency. When comparing the intensity between both years, it can be observed that the severity of poverty showed very little change.”
Statistician, Ronald Orellana shared that for the period from January to October 2024, imports stood at nine-point-two percent higher than in 2023.
Ronald Orellana
Ronald Orellana, Statistician, S.I.B.
“ The total domestic imports for the first 10 months of the year amounted two-point-four billion dollars, up nine-point-two percent or two hundred and six million dollars when compared to imports for the first 10 months of 2023. Currently, imports stood at two-point-four billion dollars, which is considerably greater than that of imports before 2020. Let’s look at the top categories that contributed to this overall increase in merchandise imports. It can be observed that machinery and transport equipment recorded a significant rise for the period, from four hundred and ninety-four point four million dollars to six hundred and fourteen point five million dollars at twenty-four point three percent or one hundred and twenty point one million dollars increase when compared to 2023.”
Orellana said exports were up a notch.
Ronald Orellana
“ The total for the first 10 months of 2024 amounted to three hundred and sixty-three point five million, representing a modest growth of 0. 6 percent or 2 million compared to the same period in 2023. Bananas experienced the largest increase climbing from fifty point nine million to seventy-one point three million. Other exports, including cattle and alcoholic beverages, went up by nine point two million for the first 10 months of the year. Similarly, due to favorable prices for orange concentrate, the citrus products increased from 18. 6 million to twenty-six point nine million. These gains were tempered by declines in two major categories. Sugar fell by eighteen point five million, from one hundred and forty-seven million to one hundred twenty-eight point four million on account to the timing of shipments, exports of animal feed drop sharply decreasing from thirty-one point three million to eleven point five million.”
While the S.I.B. reports that the poverty rate is just over twenty-two percent, they also run a monthly survey called the Consumer Confidence Index. This survey gauges people’s feelings about their economic situation. According to the Acting Manager of the Economic Statistics Department, it’s a quick Q&A session with closed-ended questions, so participants don’t get a chance to elaborate on their answers.
Jacqueline Sabal, Acting Manager, Economic Statistics Department
“ It’s just ten questions, and we’re asking them how they feel about their household financial situation, general economic conditions, and then also about savings, whether they think prices will increase, if they think unemployment will increase, etc. So, it’s fairly short. Um, what we use to compile the index is just seven out of those 10 questions. And of the 7 questions, we separate them into the present index, expectations, and then durable goods. The present deals with Your present financial situation, present economic situation, et cetera, expectations is what you think will happen in the future, 12 months from now. With regards to the same thing, your financial situation and general economic conditions. And then the durable goods question is about whether consumers think now is the right time to make major purchases of durable goods. So we’re asking about if now is the right time to By builder, renovate a home, purchase a car, furniture, those type of items that require a lot of intent and thought before making purchase, making that big purchase. When it comes to expectations, it’s very specific. It’s about your expectation regarding your financial situation. If you think it will get better, if you think it will get worse, if you think it will stay the same. So that’s what we focus on when it comes to expectations. Similarly, for general economic conditions, that’s what we focus on.”
Today, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry (B.C.C.I.) held a session with its members to address any concerns about the government’s General Sales Tax (GST) waiver on Christmas shopping for the next two weekends. The waiver doesn’t cover the service industry, consignment goods, wholesale items, hire purchases, new motor vehicles, cigarettes, liquor, fuel, liquid petroleum gas, guns, mobile phones, and similar items. However, the Chamber members were more focused on the technical aspects of how the current system will handle the waiver. This evening, B.C.C.I. Vice President Jody Williams told News Five that while the business community generally welcomes the government’s incentive, there are still some reservations. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Jody Williams, Vice President of the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry, shared that the business community has had mixed reactions to the government’s recent GST waiver announcement.
Via Phone: Jody Williams, Vice President, B.C.C.I.
“There’s been a fifty-fifty reaction. You know, there’s a lot of questions. I know this is the first G.S.T. waiver for weekend sales for the first time in Belize. So as we know, like for every new thing happening, you know, there’s a lot of questions that need to be answered, a lot of clarifications and so on. But all in all the Belize Chamber of Commerce does support this initiative by the government. It will definitely bring financial relief for a persons doing their Christmas shopping, especially when it comes to goods that come with GST. for GST goods, especially when it comes to electronics, certain food items, hams and anything integral that persons need and definitely, we think this is a good thing and I think the main objective as well, as we have definitely pointed out that we want to boost economic activity in the Christmas for businesses in Belize for sure, and at the same time, keep believe in dollars here locally in Belize.”
For half of the business community that has reservations, Williams thinks it might be because this GST waiver is a new concept for merchants. Some have even mentioned that they won’t be open for business during this period.
Via Phone: Jody Williams
“I think it’s because it’s a new thing. They may have more questions than anything else, but we at the Chamber, we are bringing our team together to work along as well with the Belize Tax Service Department to provide answers, to give more information and to educate the businesses and consumers of Belize that may have these questions. And there has been talk and rumors actually that some business will be closing on those specific days, but we are saying why? Because definitely they will miss out on sales on these days. And it’s a good initiative. It boosts consumer spending as well. We had a black Friday just a couple of weeks ago and now this is like a black Friday, but it’s actually the entire weekend, so if they made those Black Friday sales possible, so why are they being reserved for this first time GST waiver weekends for Christmas shopping?”
Williams mentioned that for the many businesses that have welcomed the waiver, the B.C.C.I. has encouraged them to ensure the busy shopping season goes as smoothly as possible for everyone.
Via Phone: Jody Williams
“There will be more activity, there will be more shoppers, so I would suggest to all businesses, we’re doing our part at the Chamber to provide as much info to be ready to have those extra persons ready to serve, not to have much backline, and especially when it comes to your system, your P.O.S. system and your cash registry and everything to be fit and ready for those days because it will be very crowded and persons want to take advantage of this. So, as businesses, you know, we must be ready for those weekends.”
A new chapter in conservation is unfolding in Belize! This morning, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium kicked off the construction of a cutting-edge facility focused on rescuing and rehabilitating endangered marine life, including the beloved Antillean manatee. The Belize Marine Rescue and Educational Center is being built at Southern Lagoon, Gales Point, an area renowned for its vibrant manatee population. News Five’s Britney Gordon was on the scene for this exciting unveiling.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Belize boasts the largest population of Antillean manatees in the world and the most manatees in Central America. These gentle giants thrive in Belize’s rivers, which offer abundant vegetation and protection. However, they face daily threats from climate change and human activities. For over twenty years, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium has been dedicated to rescuing and releasing manatees in Belize. Today, they broke ground on a new Marine Rescue and Educational Center in Gales Point Village. Program Coordinator Jamal Galvez shared how this new facility will benefit both Belizeans and the wildlife they cherish.
Jamal Galvez
Jamal Galvez, Coordinator, Belize Manatee Conservation Program
“This area of Gales Point has lacked livelihoods, economic activity for many years due to the road was inaccessible. But now, the pavement of the road. From construction phase, villagers will have jobs. Some of these villagers haven’t had a salary or paycheck for years. So from construction phase to, to the concept and to the development and the final stage when this center is actually completed, it will be one hundred percent Belizean employed. So students from far west, south to north you bring your credentials and we’re open to accommodate you to share that knowledge and to provide that employment. This center will be open for visitors, locally and internationally. So we’re hoping that it will support livelihood, it will help to be a part of ensuring that Belize’s marine ecosystem thrives.”
The center will welcome the public, offering a firsthand look at the efforts to preserve Belize’s precious marine wildlife. Minister of Sustainable Development and Climate Change, Orlando Habet, explained that the ministry will collaborate with Clearwater Marine Aquarium to support the project’s growth.
Orlando Habet
Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development
“It is important because of the conservation of the manatees during the studies. Very importantly, it’s not only the part of the handling and managing the manatees, especially when they get hurt and bringing them for rescue, but also the research component, which is absolutely essential, and the educational component where you can bring in students from the different schools and universities. Not only in the region, but regionally and internationally to come and do some research and to do that part of the education process. For the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Climate Change, I think what we have going with them is that we recently signed a co-management agreement with the team, and so we are now looking to await for their proposals.”
The Belize Tourism Board and the Ministry of Tourism are also teaming up on this project, as the new institute is expected to become a popular attraction for visitors.
Anthony Mahler
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism
“ This will give them another attraction to come and visit. I’ve spoken to some of the cruise lines already, they are willing to support and the overnight sector, I’m sure they’re going to come here. And there are similar facilities across the Caribbean, especially in Cayman and other parts. whereby they have a rehabilitation center for turtles. We are doing manatees and all marine creatures.”
The project is slated to take a year to complete and is estimated to cost up to six million dollars. Britney Gordon for News Five.
