Still No Answers: News Five Pushes for Rental Transparency

For the past three weeks, News Five has been trying to get answers, specifically, a full list of all the properties the Government of Belize is renting for office space and public use. It’s public information, and we believe the public has a right to know. We reached out to the Minister of Public Service, Henry Charles Usher, not once, but twice. Each time, he promised to provide the details. But as of news time, we’re still waiting. So today, we took it a step further. Paul Lopez hand-delivered a formal Freedom of Information request because transparency isn’t optional, it’s a responsibility. Here’s his report.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

On June twenty-third, the Minister of Public Service sat down exclusively with News Five and made a big promise. In response to our request, he committed to handing over a full list of properties the Government of Belize is currently renting from private landlords. Now, why does this matter? Well, it turns out the government is shelling out over two point five million dollars every year on rent. That’s right, your tax dollars. So, we’re asking the questions that matter: How much exactly is being spent? Who’s getting paid? And where are these properties located?

 

File: June 23, 2025

Henry Charles-Usher, Minister of Public Service

“Of course there are contractual obligations on certain things, but once the attorney general’s ministry says it is ok then I don’t have a problem. It is the people’s money and not something already known.”

 

He made the commitment again when we asked him about the list three days later.

 

File: June 26, 2025

Paul Lopez

“Sir we need that list to see the amount of building the government is renting and from who?”

 

 

 

 

Henry Charles-Usher

“Sure, I will get that for you.”

 

Two weeks ago, Minister Usher made a commitment to transparency, promising to share the full list of government rental properties and the landlords being paid with public funds. But since that exclusive sit-down, it’s been radio silence. We even followed up with an email on July first, copying the Prime Minister, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, and the Financial Secretary. Still, no response. So today, we took it a step further. In the interest of public accountability, News Five has officially filed a Freedom of Information request. Because when it comes to how your tax dollars are being spent, we believe the public deserves answers, not delays.

 

 

 

Paul Lopez

“I am in front of the Ministry of Public Service here in Belmopan and I am about to deliver a Freedom of Information Act to the Minister of Public Service Henry Charles Usher. This is in relation to the government office space rental. We have been having conversations about these rentals for the past month or so and we have been requesting several documents from Minister Usher, which he has committed to do, but he has not fulfilled that commitment to provide those documents. Some people would say that it is unfortunate that we have had to reach this point to get this information. But thankfully the act affords us the right to gain access, especially as media, to these public record. So we go in now and we ask for the minister. If he is not there we leave this request with his secretary.”

 

But when we arrived, we were told the minister wasn’t in. A security guard directed us to leave the request with his secretary, and we did, along with a clear commitment that it would be delivered to him directly. Now, under the Freedom of Information Act, Minister Usher has two weeks to respond to our request for the full list of government rental properties and the landlords being paid. The clock is officially ticking and we’ll be watching closely. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.