The average prices of select food items, including rice, ground beef, evaporated and powdered milk, as well as cheese have gone up. That’s according to the latest figures released by the Statistical Institute of Belize. The Consumer Price Index shows that there has been a four point three percent increase in the national inflation rate. In January 2024, prices within the food sub-category were up by eight point two percent, as increases were observed in the cost of fresh vegetables, dairy products, meat products and cereal products, including rice, flour and bread. The cost of restaurant and accommodation services rose by fourteen percent. The External Trade Bulletin indicates that imports were up twenty-eight point two percent, while domestic exports were down thirty-one point six percent in January 2024. Total imports for January 2024 stood at two hundred and seventy-two million dollars which is attributed to a considerable increase in the importation of machinery and transportation equipment.
Category: News
Thirty-five Stores Ticketed in Caye Caulker and San Pedro
As many as thirty-five businesses in San Pedro and Caye Caulker have been ticketed by the Supplies Control Unit for violating the Supplies Control (Prices) Regulations, as it pertains to the sale of various items. During a third round of establishment inspections carried out earlier this month, the unit ticketed stores across the island town, including nine on Laguna Drive alone. Caye Value Store, Tan’s Mart, Best Price Store and K Mart are among several establishments that were fined for offering for sale above control price for control good, or for failing to display price for control good. In Caye Caulker, several stores were also ticketed, including China Town Supermarket and Sunrise Shopping Center. The Supplies Control Unit says it will continue to engage local authorities such as the Belize Police Department, San Pedro Town Council and Caye Caulker Village Council to identify and address violations of the Supplies Control Regulations.
World Bank Reviews Belize’s Public Spending
Today, the World Bank shared its findings of a review on Belize’s public spending, primarily in areas of education, health and climate change resilience. The bank is of the view that Belize could reduce its debt to below fifty percent of G.D.P. by undertaking reforms in these areas particularly. The report also found that budget credibility and fiscal discipline remain a challenge and a high public sector wage bill continues to limit spending power. News Five’s Marion Ali has a report on the review.
Marion Ali, Reporting
For the first time, the World Bank has presented the findings of a review that it has conducted on Belize’s public spending and how the government could improve its ability in addressing specific areas of need if it were more efficient in how it manages the public purse. Senior Economist with the World Bank, Anton Dobronogov, broke down the figures.
Anton Dobronogov, Senior Economist, World Bank
“As of 2023, the risks to sustainability of public debt were judged as moderate. which is a major achievement for the country which experienced multiple debt restructurings in the past. Revenue collection in Belize remains lower than in most of the Caribbean countries. Since this report was on the expenditures and not on revenues, we did not go in we did not do in depth analysis. But I would like to highlight this point because Belize still needs to continue fiscal consolidation and increasing revenues needs certainly to be a part of this effort. As you can see at the next slide total expenditures which was at 23 percent in 2022, has an even larger gap between Belize and the Caribbean average. Obviously, this is a consequence of the fiscal consolidation and for a while this gap, is likely to persist.”
The World Bank found that one of the main challenges for Belize in public spending is its huge wage bill, which in 2022 accounted for 41 percent of total public spending.
“The public expenditures in Belize are rather rigid. About 81 percent of expenditures are non discretionary. In part, this is a consequence of the lack of fiscal disciplines, of lack of fiscal discipline, which persisted for a fairly prolonged period in the country. And the most important rigid expenditure in Belize is the public sector wage bill. As of 2022, the wage bill including transfers to public high school and public hospitals allocated for salaries accounted for slightly over 40 percent of total public spending, 50 percent of total revenue, and 55 percent of recurrent expenditure.”
Minister of State in Finance, Chris Coye says there has to be a way to effectively address the issues that were raised.
Chris Coye, Minister of State, Finance
“I think you, you look at the recommendations, and those are recommendations that, that have to be seriously considered. Certainly, the size of the workforce is, one. But also the, compensation, the pay scale is compressed. The skill side is underpaid versus the broadness of the lower-mid or mid-level workers within the system. Those are areas that we actually have to spend a lot more time in looking at how do we develop probably a new pay scale structure, a new compensation structure. So that is quite a bit of work, but that is something that needs to be undertaken.”
The review singled out areas of education and health that have also given serious challenges to the government over the years. The bank’s Country Director for the Caribbean, Lilia Burunciuc spoke on these.
Lilia Burunciuc, Country Director for the Caribbean, World Bank
“A key recommendation is the need to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public spending in key sectors such as health and education. And these are the two and these are the two very important sectors for the country. for the people of, the country. We will learn more about this today, but I would like to highlight that in education, worldwide, study after study, has shown that the factor number one that determines the results in terms of the learning outcomes in education is the quality of teachers. And this is one of very important area that Belize needs to really pay attention to, to improve the quality of teachers and, teaching. In health, it is important to make sure that the money, that public money that goes into this sector really delivers the results, and the citizens can see the benefits in terms of improved services that they get from, the health sector, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of spending in health.”
Dian Maheia, C.E.O., Ministry of Education
“There are a few things to take away here. One is that this is a review that really incorporates data leading mostly up to 2019. There are significant changes that have been made since 2019, and there’s data that has yet to be collected. I think that yes. What happens from 2020 on especially from 2021 on because with 2021, we were fully back after the pandemic, I think is going to be interesting as we move forward. So that’s one thing, because this was a review, s I said, with data up to 2019. That’s one thing. Another thing to take away from this is the fact that They’re not a whole lot of surprises. It’s true that we absolutely as a government, have to be aware of the fact that we spend a lot of our money on education and we should expect that our system would be more efficient.”
A lot of money is spent on teacher training C.E.O. Maheia said, but the fruits of that are still just beginning to have bearing. Marion Ali for News Five.
Navigate the Belize Zoo With a New Interactive Map
The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center cares for one hundred and sixty animals, representing forty-three native species. The thirty-acre wildlife rescue and rehabilitation facility sees approximately forty-three thousand visitors on an annual basis. And, as of Sunday, those thousands of yearly visitors will be able to navigate the best little zoo in the world much easier. The zoo has partnered with Belizing.com to create an interactive map and information application that seeks to enhance the visitor experience. These new features will be launched on World Wildlife Conservation Day. News Five’s Paul Lopez got an exclusive look ahead of the launch on tonight’s installment of Belize on Reel. Here is that report.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
When conservation and technology collide, innovation becomes the order of the day. The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center has partnered with Belizing.com to launch a creative, digital application to enhance visitor’s experience.
Celso Pott, Director, The Belize Zoo
“We started to work on an interactive map. This stems from our participation in their innovative lab project where they developed digital integration plan for the Belize Zoo and proposed how we can move the Zoo forward towards digital technology.”
According to Celso Pott, the Director of the Belize Zoo, a static PDF map has been the only option available to visitors who request a layout of the zoo. Belizing.com has now created an interactive map that does way more than inform visitors where each animal is located.
Angela Wu, General Manger, Lets Go Belizing Limited
“We had to come, we came on multiple occasions. We had to map out the zoo, making sure that we have the coordinates right. We had to ensure that all the animals are where they are showing on the map, that way we are making sure that when people use it they could navigate to which animal they want to see.”
“It’s a mobile first progressive web app. So anyone that has a mobile device and internet connection they can access the map. So when they go to the home page of the map they will be able to share the location and that way the GPS technology will be able to work and it has dynamic way finding, that way you could click on whatever animal you want to see and it will give you the direction to follow to get to that specific animal.”
Celso Pott
“You come to the zoo and you download with the QR code an interactive map. Interactive map because it will be your guide to the zoo. You tell it which animal you want yo see and it will tell you the way point to find that animal habitat. Once you reach there you can tap on a PDF to read more information about that animal.”
Maria Mejia, C.E.O., Lets Go Belizing Limited
“It has a real-time schedule when the zoo is open, what is available. It has guides that help to create customizable experiences for you at the zoo and it has a tour schedule, what tours are available at that time. I think it is not only going to transform not only the experience in terms of navigating the zoo, but being informed and educated about the different animals, but also being able to have a more efficient experience, especially for travelers who come, let’s say from the cruise and they want to stop by and have that experience, the app allows them to stop by and have that experience much more easier and efficient right.”
Celso Pott,
“This year’s world wildlife theme is connecting people and planet through digital innovation for wildlife conservation. So this digital interactive map ties perfectly with the theme for this year’s world wildlife day. The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center is a not for profit organization, so we rely solely on the visitors fee and donation we receive and that money goes back into the work we do. Enhancing visitors experience is very important for them to support us. The cool thing with this interactive map is, if businesses want to support the zoo they can sponsor one of the pages. We can advertise for you at the Belize Zoo on these pages.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
Belize Participates in 6th UN Environment Assembly
Chief Executive Officer, Doctor Kenrick Williams is in Nairobi, Kenya where he is attending the Sixth United Nations Environment Assembly. For Belize, the assembly provides a space to update the global community on its national efforts to address environmental and climate issues. Similarly, it serves as a platform to urge world leaders to deliver upon commitments and support developing states like Belize.
Dr. Kenrick Williams, C.E.O., Ministry of Sustainable Development
“Belize is pleased to present its highest commitment and dedication in tackling climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. Since our last meeting at this assembly, Belize has been working arduously to meet its national, regional and international commitments. With respect to climate change actions, Belize recently introduced the Climate Change and Carbon Markets Initiative Bill. This legislation will set up structures and systems aimed at meeting our commitments under the UN, CCC and the Paris Agreement. These achievements will additionally place Belize in a position to diversify its financing mechanism and enter the international carbon markets to finance our low emission resilient development. Belize continues to be a net carbon sink which is due to its adequately conserved, managed and enhanced forest resources. In line with our government’s Plan Belize Agenda, we have adopted a national forest restoration strategy which aligns with Belize’s pledges to the bond challenge where we commit to restoring a hundred and thirty thousand hectares by 2030. In line with the global biodiversity framework, Belize is now updating its national biodiversity strategy and action plan to continue to meet the urgent action of halting and reversing biodiversity loss and to put nature on a path to recovery.”
Fire Safety Means Being Proactive This Dry Season
With the dry season in full effect, Belizeans are already starting to feel the heat. And with heat, comes the threat of potential wildfires. Earlier this week, a wild fire destroyed the home of Hattieville resident Wallace Rubio, who claimed that the incident was avoidable. We spoke with Kenneth Mortis of the National Fire Service to hear how we can prevent incidents like these from occurring, News Five’s Britney Gordon reports.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
As the temperatures continue to rise amid the height of the dry season, the threat of wildfires imposing on properties in rural areas becomes a greater cause for concern. The National Fire Service asserts that the impact of these fires can be minimized by implementing preventative measures. We sat down with Fire Station Supervisor, Kenneth Mortis for some advice.
Kenneth Mortis, Fire Station Supervisor, National Fire Service
“It’s that time of the year indeed. And we try to stay in close dialogue with the Met Office, i believe like everyone should and the heat is here, the dry is here and if you drive around your area, you, you’ll feel the heat combined with a lot of wind, so to speak, a lot of breeze. Factors that we should take into consideration regardless of where you’re at, whether you’re in the city or you’re in these rural areas, especially more so the rural areas. Your vegetation is important. Not only yours, but your neighbor’s vegetation, your surroundings. If you find yourself living amongst overgrown vegetation, either take the extra effort to clear a five feet minimum perimeter around your building, thus eliminating the chance of a wild land fire consuming those areas, and then putting your house at risk.”
“History have shown time and time again, and most recently, whereby structures have been consumed by fires as a result of an open brush or wild land fires and all because of, one, where we’re located. We live in these rural areas. Your closest fire station, your closest fire truck is nothing less than thirty minutes away, which would put you at a fifteen miles gap. Two, your area is so heavily overgrown by these wild land bushes that you put yourself at risk within those elements. Three, most of the time, unfortunately, these fires occur during the day. That’s when everybody’s either at home or at school. . So the few neighbors that are at home, they are busy with their own day lives. They don’t always have the time to be monitoring your house. So with these factors in mind, it is something that we must take the initial initiative, how to best protect and preserve what is ours,”
He further explained that, although the fire department attempts to respond to these fires in a timely manner, they rely on the assistance of the community to report and promptly respond to these fires before the situation becomes dire.
“Fire service, the Belize National Fire Service is committed to responding to all fires within a reasonable jurisdiction. However, do not expect that the Belize National Fire Service will be at your beck and call the minute there’s a wild land fires. Unfortunately, the one that happened most recently, neighbors are saying that the fire was apparently burning for some days and nobody did anything. Nobody called us. When it went from afar to the nearby structure, that’s when all alarms went off. It was too late.”
According to Mortis, a major contributor to these disasters is a buildup of trash and overgrown brush within the area, as these tend to be highly flammable.
“So again, like I said, its fire safety measure, so to speak, and where does fire safety actually starts? And with who does fire safety start? Fire safety starts with us. Not with you, nor my neighbor, nor my friend, nor my brother, but it starts with us, the individual. That’s where fire safety starts. Those are the measures that we should take in place to ensure that wherever we live, our vegetation is kept to the minimal. We do not have all these excessive garbage buildup, those themselves pose as a fire load. We are entrapping ourselves and we’re setting ourselves up for loss.”
Britney Gordon for News Five.
Abandoned House Burns Down On Jane Usher Boulevard
An early morning fire gutted a house on Jane Usher Boulevard today. The incident occurred around four thirty a.m. and while no one was injured, the small wooden structure was completely lost to the flames. Residents in the area claim that, while the house belongs to a Mister Belisle, it remained abandoned as far as they knew. For more information, we spoke with Kenneth Mortis from the National Fire Service.
Kenneth Mortis, Fire Station Supervisor, National Fire Service
“The information is still forthcoming in the sense that, we haven’t really gotten a chance to speak to the owners yet. We know that the Jane Usher Boulevard and what they call the Mudd Street here. The structure was a twenty by twenty four wooden structure, zinc roofing. Unconfirmed reports is that it was abandoned, which again we need confirmation from mister Belisle. As we know that abandoned and unoccupied is basically two different categories. We can definitely say that the building had no electricity. But, like I said, the hours the fire was detected, it didn’t prove or didn’t give us much assistance from neighbors who could have pointed out whether they saw something out of the ordinary or anything to that effect, whether it was a malicious act, that is yet to be determined from the investigators and I am hoping that we can have something before the end of today.”
Britney Gordon
“What was the response time on the fire and how long did it blaze for?”
Kenneth Mortis
“We got the call approximately 5:01. I would say within seven minutes we were on the scene. We managed to control the fire after twenty minutes of firefighting, I would say, and then another thirty-five minutes, more or less, that was when total extinguishment took place.”
Britney Gordon
“So being that you have not been in contact with Mr. Belisle, who contacted the fire department?”
Kenneth Mortis
“We received a call from the police department this morning. After such, as per norm, we dispatched two trucks to the scene with a total of six firefighters and they were the ones responsible per se to bring this fire under control. Minimizing the damage to that one particular structure, versus whereby any other nearby structure were at risk. So we managed to control it before that happened.”
An Early Morning Fire In Belmopan
A Belmopan resident is left in a state of despair after a fire broke out in her home around four-thirty a.m., today. She is single mother of four, Alisha Latchman who awoke to the smell of smoke surrounding her house. Fortunately, Latchman and her four children were unharmed, but have suffered great financial loss. We visited the scene of the fire today, to hear how this unfortunate event occurred.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
This morning, around four thirty a.m. it was up to Alisha Latchman, to gather her four children and get them to safety, as a fire blazed inside her home. Luckily, the single mother was able to get her eight-month-old twins, five-year-old daughter, and her fourteen-year-old son out of the house unharmed but was forced to watch as the flames consumed a portion of her rented home until the fire department arrived.
Alisha Latchman, Fire Victim
“This morning we dih sleep, I dih sleeping inna living room with the two babies I noh sleep inna dih room. And then my next two kids, they’re in their room and I smell smoke. So, at first I never really paid no mind. But then I smell the smoke starting to get stronger, you know, so I get up and when I get up, I realize that the inner of the house the smoke they come from and I look up and I see the thick smoke inner the ceiling. So I grab my two eight month baby from off the ground and I run to the next room with my next two bigger kids there, and there and I try to get them out.”
Latchman stated that, in the midst of the chaos, she was concerned for her children as it was difficult to get some of them out of the house.
“For a minute, I think my daughter, something happened to her because she never wanted to get up. She never mih dih move to get up, but we managed to get her up. And we come out by the time we go for exit back to the to the living room area I just see the current gone off and everywhere dark and a lot of smoke and everything. And I see, you know, the front room. In my room just a lot of fire, a lot of smoke, everything, and I managed to get open the front door and me and my kids. I exit out through the front door with them and they come out through the gate and my son come and halla fih dih neighbors them to help.”
She estimates a loss of approximately twenty-three thousand dollars in damages, which includes, furniture, appliances, schools supplies, clothes and documents.
“So you managed to save much of what you own?”
Alisha Latchman
“Well, I tried going back inside. Let me see what I could get. I never managed to get much. I only grabbed like two bags. And I couldn’t do nothing else more because then the whole place full of fire and smoke, thick smoke.”
Marion Ali
“So, I see that it’s not burnt down, but it’s scorched severely, is it still livable?”
“Inside damage. Yeah. So, I mean I can’t go back in and go live now, and that’s where I was renting, that’s not my place.”
We sought further information at the National Fire Service where Fire Station Supervisor, Kenneth Mortis updated us further. According to Mortis, the fire was due to an electrical malfunction.
Kenneth Mortis, Fire Station Supervisor, National Fire Service
“We conduct investigation. We will learn that the fire was as a result of a electrical flaw and that stemmed from the electrical circuit part of it in the room. Again, we were fortunate to contain this fire and suppress it before it managed to expel itself from the building, creating more damage to other nearby structures.”
Latchman is at a loss for what do next and is asking the public to extend assistance to her and her family.
Marion Ali
“You have a number where people can reach you?”
Alisha Latchman
“Yes, 675-4504.”
Marion Ali
“And that’s for Alisha?”
Alisha Latchman
“Yes, Alicia.”
”So, now that you say it’s not habitable, where are you staying? Who will you be with?”
Alisha Latchman
“Well for right now, one of my auntie she have my kids them but from there, I don’t know. I don’t know what happened. Where we’re going from there.”
Procurement of Funds for New Court Complex in Final Stages
In January, we heard the Chief Engineer Evondale Moody describe how much infrastructural work the court building that once housed the Treasury Department underwent. Moody also spoke of the level of intervention that the other court building that faces the Battlefield Park also needs to undergo. Well, the construction of a brand new court complex will get underway next to the Eleanor Hall Finance Building on Chetumal Street, as soon as the procurement of funds and the design of the building are done.
Chris Coye, Minister of State, Finance
“I think that’s in its final stages with the Social Security Board. So far as I understand, the transaction documents as it relates to the equity subscription by Social Security. Those have been approved by the board and so the next, I believe the next step is towards concluding those. I believe if I recall correctly was around $50 million. It was contemplated [that] two additional structures similar to the existing one – the existing finance building – so it would be about a hundred thousand square feet additional space that would then consolidate, the government offices. One building would be used for the judiciary, so the judiciary will have a new home that includes the different levels of the judiciary. So that would have to be more customized. And then the second building would be for other government facilities.”
Garifuna Language Embraced By the Education Sector
Trying to salvage a dying culture or language can sometimes be easier said than done, particularly because youths are often adapting to other more modernized ways of communicating and interacting. So when we heard that the introduction of Garifuna language in government schools in the south has not only drawn the interest of the students who are Garinagu, but also those of other ethnicities, it showed that teaching that language in those schools may be the way to retrieve that part of the rich Garifuna culture that we all celebrate. C.E.O. in the Ministry of Education, Dian Maheia told News Five today that there is good news to report in that regard.
Dian Maheia, C.E.O., Ministry of Education
“This is a program that they are piloting with nine schools between Stann Creek and Toledo District – primary schools, correct. And the idea is to, of course – this initiative is intended to save the Garifuna language, to ensure the continued use of the Garifuna language. Language is living when you use it, right, so they want to make sure that happens. They have a full program that includes support for teachers. It’s a planned program for rollout in the schools, and the work that has been happening over the past few months shows that it’s been successfully received. It’s being well implemented, even in students who are not Garinagu students. So that’s been an interesting component to look at, right? So we were really happy to learn more about it, to engage. What we see suggests that have we every reason, every confidence that this can be well rolled out, implemented. And yeah, we’re looking forward to seeing this bring more holistic development to the students who are impacted.”