Today’s procurement workshop, hosted by the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing and international lending agencies, illuminated the stringent processes that contracting parties must follow. The workshop also emphasized the transparency of contracts, which the ministry makes publicly available. However, when asked about allegations of inflated contracts, the minister explained that contracts undergo rigorous scrutiny at multiple levels before being awarded to a contractor.
Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development, Housing
“I don’t think you can ever one hundred percent debunk it. It is what people perceive it to be. We can only open it up as best as we can so that you can see the process and ask the questions and participate, look at the procedure, and that’s why we have the valuation. When we do an evaluation of a contract. It is the engineers from the Ministry of Infrastructure, it is the financial consultants from the Ministry of Finance; it is the consultants from IDB or CDB, their people participate. So it goes through different levels of scrutiny before it is awarded.”
As mentioned earlier, on Tuesday, Doctor Lin Chai-Lung and Belize’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francis Fonseca, held a press conference in Belmopan. During his address, Doctor Lin revealed that the Government of Taiwan is gearing up to open its market to Belizean seafood, with the shrimp industry set to reap the initial benefits.
Lin Chai – Lung
Dr. Lin Chai-Lung, Foreign Minister, Taiwan
“This afternoon we have discussed some very important cooperation projects and we also reviewed the progress and outcomes of ongoing projects and explored directions for further cooperation. We are very satisfied with the result and are fully committed to further strengthening our robust relationship. For instance, I am grateful to announce that after two years, significant progress has been made on the issue of importing shrimps from Belize to Taiwan. We are not entering the onsite inspection phase. Once this is successfully completed and any outstanding issues, interministerial talks will go ahead. Our government looks forward to opening Taiwan market to Belizean sea food, in particular with your famous Marie Sharps. It is very popular in Taiwan. I can guarantee. During this meeting, I can also announce that the government for Taiwan in response to Prime Minister Briceño request during his visit to Taiwan in May, has agreed to provide financial support for the reconstruction of BelCan Bridge in Belize City. We understand this is a pressing issue concerning the city’s safety and its residents.”
On Tuesday, Belize Sugar Industries (B.S.I.) proudly announced a record-breaking price for sugar cane, heralding a promising boost for the livelihoods of cane farmers across Belize. This increase in cane prices paints a hopeful picture for the local agricultural community. However, it’s a bittersweet victory, as the global market price for sugar itself has taken a downturn, posing significant challenges for the industry. In an interview, B.S.I.’s Financial Director, Shawn Chavarria, shared insights on how the company is proactively addressing these hurdles to ensure sustained growth and stability.
Shawn Chavarria
Shawn Chavarria, Financial Director, B.S.I.
“We’ve started to see prices come under pressure. And so we’re not expecting a third consecutive year of record prices, unfortunately. But what we continue to have in a sense as an advantage is that the expansion in value-added production will help to cushion this fall in the world market price for sugar. And so by having that diversified portfolio of being able to sell more value-added sugar, that helps to soften some of the blow when prices see these dramatic fall. Prices for direct consumption sugar will also reduce, but the volatility will not be as much as raw sugar. And so we’re not expecting that prices will fall to the levels we saw in the when the EU deregulation took place in 2017 but it will start feeling some pressure due to the fall in global sugar prices.”
Reporter
“Who is buying these dc sugars?”
Shawn Chavarria
“It’s actually a wide group of customers. We’re currently selling these direct consumption sugars to over twenty-five close to thirty countries. In the world. And so we’re selling to a majority of the Caribbean countries presently, even the small eastern Caribbean islands. We’re selling to a number of countries in Europe. We’re selling to the UK. They are one of our biggest takers of product. So over the past five, six years, we’ve really been able to develop and diversify the customer base so that we are able to take advantages and divert sugar to where we’re seeing more attractive prices.”
For the second year in a row, cane farmers in northern Belize are celebrating a record-breaking final payment for their sugarcane. Today, Belize Sugar Industries (B.S.I.) announced that farmers will receive an impressive ninety dollars and ninety-five cents per ton for the 2024 crop. According to B.S.I., this price surge is driven by the continued growth of value-added sugar and robust sales, especially in the Caribbean market. We caught up with B.S.I.’s Financial Director, Shawn Chavarria, to get more insights into this historic price milestone.
Shawn Chavarria
Shawn Chavarria, Financial Director, B.S.I.
“For the second consecutive year that we have our record key in payment to farmers for the 2024 crop of ninety dollars and ninety-five cents and per our commercial agreement, this payment will be made on Monday, November fourth. As we’ve highlighted in the press release, this really comes at a good time for farmers as the industry is battling a new disease called fusarium, and it’s affecting the growth of the sugar cane. While it’s not pronounced throughout the industry, it’s mainly being seen in the Corozal District. It is something that the industry needs to pay close attention to, and there are certain preventative measures that we will need to put in place. And so, in terms of disposable income, this payment comes at a really good time, given it’s, it’s a record price, it’s one of the highest farmers will receive. And so, farmers will be able to have this additional funds. To be able to put in place some mitigation control. But it’s a it’s a good it will be a good day for farmers. We believe a lot of them will be very pleased with the campaign. And it continues to demonstrate the benefits of the commercial agreement where we’re sharing the value of the all the sugars that we produce, including the value of added sugar. Where we continue to get good prices, particularly in CARICOM, and we’re seeing good value for the sugar being produced. So it will be a good day. And, you know, we hope that farmers take this opportunity to use these funds to not only address fusarium, but also consider replanting. There are some programs that are coming on stream. The Green Climate Fund grant of twenty-five million U. S. We have AgroPro. Last week, we launched SmartGrow. We also know that there’s the CRESCAP from the World Bank, which will also provide grant funding. So the industry is really set up for the next few years to be able to improve its competitiveness. And so we hope that Farmers use this opportunity to take advantage and improve their productivity and improve their long term sustainability.”
Today marked the unveiling of the 2024 Mesoamerican Reef Report Card by Healthy Reefs for Healthy People. This comprehensive report, crafted in collaboration with over seventy dedicated organizations, highlights the ongoing efforts to preserve the stunning reefs of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras. This regional initiative not only offers invaluable data but also champions ecosystem-based management and adaptive conservation strategies for the Mesoamerican Reef. For an in-depth look at today’s launch, News Five’s Britney Gordon was in attendance.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
A glimmer of hope shines on the Mesoamerican Reef as its health shows improvement for the first time in five years. While this marks a step in the right direction, the overall grade still hovers in the ‘poor’ category. At the launch of the Mesoamerican Reef Report, Raphael Martinez, the Country Coordinator for Healthy Reefs for Healthy People, provided an in-depth look at the report’s findings.
Raphael Martinez
Raphael Martinez, Country Coordinator, Healthy Reefs for Healthy People
“This year’s report card showed an improvement in the reef health index going from two point zero to two point five. It’s still classified the least in the poor category, but the silver lining is it’s an improvement. It’s a significant improvement, especially looking at indicators of the herbivorous fish and commercial fish biomass that saw a rebound from 2021 numbers. So this is a good sign and we believe that there’s more improvements that could be made in terms of reef health. And we hope to have a collaborative effort across our local network of partners in terms of addressing this issue of trying to improve reef health.”
The health grade of the reef is alarmingly poor, with a significant portion of the two hundred and eighty-six monitored sites falling into the ‘poor’ or ‘critical’ categories, at thirty-nine percent and twenty-three percent, respectively. However, there’s a silver lining: sites in fair condition have increased by eight percent, and those in good condition have risen by three percent. Despite these improvements, two sites remain in critical condition.
Raphael Martinez
“A major challenge right now, especially affecting the coral reef, is the high level of heat stress. NOAA announced the fourth global coral reef bleaching event and we’re still feeling the effects of that in 2024. This has significantly affected the coral cover within the country and across the entire Mesoamerican region. And this is the main result of climate change and climate change, accompanied with other stressors that we as humans may introduce into the environment being poor water quality, being environmental degradation. You know, this also helps to reduce the reef, the health of the reef. And it’s important for us to address across sectors, different issues that could help to improve it. So water quality being, improving water quality will help to make the reefs more resilient to different stressors being introduced.”
One of the standout findings of the report was the increase of fish population. Commercial fish biomass increased by forty percent, largely due to stronger enforcement measures and herbivorous fish biomass also saw a thirty percent rise. The population of larger fish species, such as snappers and groupers, remains concerning, emphasizing the need for more fishing regulations and community management initiatives. Doctor Jake Snadden, Director of the Environmental Research Institute at the University of Belize tells us how his team works to break down the data for stakeholders.
Jake Snadden
Dr. Jake Snadden, Director, Environmental Research Institute, U.B.
“We’ve been looking at what that data structure is and building the supplementary for the data. So the report card presents a summary value, Healthy Reef Index, if you like, so it’s come up this year. But what does that mean on the ground between the different sites? So, say, if you’re looking at Turneffe Atoll, so you’ve got a whole bunch of sites that are surveyed there. Which sites are going up? Which sites are going down? And that’s the sort of level of information that you can use for adaptive management. And so we’ve been working with the data that’s sort of underneath these scores, if you like, putting that science rigor into it.”
Pinpointing areas for improvement through detailed data analysis is a cornerstone of the co-management system. This approach ensures that reefs and protected areas receive the tailored protection they need.
Dr. Jake Snadden
“So if you look at the report card and you like what you see, or you don’t like what you see, and if things are decreasing, you can say, where are these patterns happening? What the story behind the data? So then you look in the supplementary document, and in the supplementary document, you can then start to unpick where it is. And this is really important for like protected area managers or co-managers for areas where they’re looking at what’s happened to their reef. Don’t just look at the one value score. Look at what’s happening at the site level. Then you know which sites are improving, which sites are not improving, which sites have large fish biomass, and so they’re doing well, which sites don’t, are there, is there good seagrass, is there good reef structure where you have high, you can get at the science questions behind the management.”
With the data secured, the next step is a call to action. The Healthy Reefs for Healthy People is advocating for the protection of more areas and stricter regulations on fishing. Britney Gordon for News Five.
The Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing has declared the J&W Subdivision access road impassable due to relentless rainfall over the past few days, which has left the road submerged in floodwaters. Earlier this week, the ministry commenced construction on a bridge along this route. The silver lining is that the bridge approaches are just a couple of weeks away from completion. In the meantime, residents are advised to use a temporarily upgraded alternate entrance while the access road remains flooded. We spoke with Chief Engineer Evondale Moody for more details.
Evondale Moody
Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, M.I.D.H
“The approaches was what we were working on during the rainy season and so with the events and heavy rainfalls, that have significantly delayed the progress of the contractor in completing those two approaches to the bridges itself. So, we have to be timely in what we are doing. Yes the rain is upon us but that is just mother nature. There is not much we can do. So, we continuously working on that to try and get it completed within the next two to three week. The only other option is to use the alternate route from the back to come into Belmopan. So, what we have done, the mayor has asked us to assist with material to improve the access road in that area. That road is not well kept and it will create some problems for the alternate route. You may recall we also have a diversion at the J&W bridge that we were using, however with the excessive flooding that is also inundated by flood waters, so that has created some problems. But for the most part that has helped us during construction. We did not prioritize the back route because of the distance and also at night it is very dark. So, we did not prioritize that as an option to send the residents through because of their safety.”
Chief Engineer Evondale Moody clarified that although the ministry has taken on the task of constructing the J&W Bridge, the area is under the jurisdiction of the Belmopan City Council. Addressing concerns about the slow pace of construction, Moody pointed out that the persistent rains have significantly hampered progress.
Evondale Moody, Chief Engineer, M.I.D.H
“Yes we have to be sentimental about that fact and it is something we have been trying to deal with as well. However, from a ministry standpoint we were trying to help the city of Belmopan and also the resident with the structure. It is not in our jurisdiction to do these work, however we knew it was important based on our consultation between the ministry and the area rep and the mayor. However, we know that building a bridge is not one month, two months, three months. It takes almost a year. So, we started this bridge earlier in the dry season to complete the structure then we knew we had to do the approach, because we couldn’t build the approach before the bridge. So, we are cognizant of the fact that we have created some problem for them, but it is not exactly on the MIDH. It is the weather we have to deal with. We apologize for that, however we are trying to do our best to see how we could assist the city council in improving the access road in the back until such time. People would say you could have added more labor to help that situation. However bare in mind, the funding we requested had to be approved by the ministry of finance and those are limited funding. So, we have to work within that budget we have. We cant extent beyond that budget and add on more staff and equipment just to complete the project within a shorter duration.”
Today, the annual national M.S.M.E. roadshow wrapped its second day of activities in Belize City. The event was launched in 2023 by the Office of the Prime Minister in partnership with the Economic Development Council and BELTRAIDE to provide support for micro, small, and medium enterprises. Monique Usher, Deputy Executive Director, of BELTRAIDE provided us with more details on the event.
“Today is the day two, which we consider the formalization clinic. So we did have a lot of the agencies that businesses would need to participate in the formalization step in attendance today.”
Britney Gordon
“And what will we see tomorrow?”
Monique Usher
“Tomorrow we have the Buy Belizean Expo, which we’re doing in partnership with the Belize City Council. So we’re joining their super sale. And so for the day three of the MSME Roadshow, we typically have an expo. And so tomorrow we have the participating businesses that had attended the bootcamp showcasing their different products and services to the public.”
Britney Gordon
“And what is the benefit for companies to come and participate in something like this? What do they have to gain?”
Monique Usher
“We offer capacity building in day one. They also have the opportunity to work with a business advisor from BELTRAIDE to assist them in their business, whether it’s looking at starting, improving, or expanding their operation. There’s also an opportunity to network amongst other MSMEs, and important also is for them to connect with some of the agencies, such as the Belize Companies Registry, to assist them with registering their business name and other, you know, formalization steps.
Britney Gordon
“And you said that this has been going on since June. When will it conclude the entire event?”
Monique Usher
“The Belize City is the final stop for the MSME Roadshow. However, we do have a signature event in November, which is the National Entrepreneurship Convention, which we dub as ENTRECON. And it’s a signature event for BELTRAIDE. It closes off all the activities that we have for the year. This year we do have a unique addition to it, which is the Glaze Award. Gala. So we’re very excited, you know, to be able to spearhead these activities.”
With the recent debut of the iconic New York pizza chain Sbarro in Belize City, Mayor Bernard Wagner has expressed his support for introducing more international franchises, such as Starbucks, to the Belizean market. While some fear these additions could harm local businesses, Wagner believes they offer more choices for consumers and create opportunities for economic growth. According to the mayor, Belize has space for both local and international brands to thrive.
Bernard Wagner
Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
“Having a franchise doesn’t mean that it’ll be a International owner. A franchise doesn’t mean that the business establishment will be owned by international. I t means that a local person goes and apply for a franchise and that franchise in the United States or wherever comes in and give them the sort of assistance in terms of how they go about getting their brand on their business. But there’s no way that you will say that listen a franchise is coming in its own by foreigners. A franchise most of the franchises I know are run by locals, but I am a I enjoy all the local coffees. I’m a coffee drinker. And I just believe that there are other options available. We need to get out of this state of where we just want to hold on. We need to give our people options.”
The Belize Defence Force (B.D.F.) continues to investigate allegations of bribery among soldiers. That investigation was launched after this station produced an investigative piece earlier this month. In that piece, Digital Editor Hipolito Novelo revealed allegations that B.D.F. soldiers stationed at the Machakilha Conservation Post along the Belize/Guatemala border were accepting bribes by Guatemalans. These bribes came in different forms, including cash, canned food, and chicken. The soldiers take these bribes and turn a blind eye to Guatemalan loggers who continue to operate within Belize. Allegations of Guatemalan bribes date back several years, with one logger claiming to have been bribing soldiers for over five years. These allegations not only raise questions about discipline but also about the overall support and infrastructure provided to Belizean soldiers patrolling the contested southern border. Now, if the allegations prove to be true, as we suspect they are, it will have serious ramifications on Belize’s national defence and security. Our investigation has revealed that the B.D.F. high command is not only investigating soldiers stationed at Machakilha but at all CPs. So today, we asked the B.D.F.’s Chief of Staff, Roberta Usher, if there is a possibility that bribery occurs at all CPs. Here is how she responded.
Roberta Usher
Major Roberta Usher, Chief of Staff, B.D.F.
“Those are two separate incidents that we’re investigating and that that continues to be investigated at all the CPS, whether or soldiers are not being truthful and bribing is occurring. Those are those are 2 separate matters. The escalation on the hostility of encircling a CP is 1 matter and disciplinary procedures as to our protocols, whether releasing them or not was suitable and feasible at the time versus what higher command thinks was acceptable. And then the bribing is another investigation that I have no other information to explain to you until that is concluded from all the CPS throughout our borders.”
Hipolito Novelo
“So the allegations extends not only to Machakilha but other CPs along the borders in terms of allegations of bribery.”
Major Roberta Usher
“Well, when we receive allegations and accusations of things like that, yes, we check all our CPs as to what is occurring because we need to know what is occurring along the border. Not just necessarily one conservation, one observation post, but all of them because the integrity of the force is then questioned.”
Hipolito Novelo
“I’m trying to establish that there is the possibility that bribery is not only occurring at Machakilha, that the possibility is that it is occurring in other CPs along the border.”
Major Roberta Usher
“Well, we are ensuring that that is not the case by conducting investigations atall. Yes.”
Hipolito Novelo
“The possibility still exists.”
Major Roberta Usher
“Possibilities exist throughout, but now we are ensuring that it is not y conducting our own internal investigations throughout our CPS across the border.”
