2025-06-23 - Greater Belize Media

$2.5 Million Dollars to Rent Government Offices, But from Who?

Two and a half million dollars a year, that’s what the Government of Belize is spending just to rent office space. It’s a number that’s hard to ignore, especially when it’s coming straight from taxpayers’ pockets. But here’s the real question: who’s getting paid? Are these rental deals fair market value, or are they quietly benefiting a well-connected few? From five-figure monthly rents to buildings once owned by the government itself, tonight we dig into the details. News Five’s Paul Lopez sits down with Minister of Public Service Henry Charles Usher to get answers, and to find out if the public is really getting its money’s worth. Here’s that report.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

It’s a question that’s got a lot of people talking, how does the Government of Belize justify spending two and a half million dollars a year just on rent? Every month, over two hundred thousand dollars is being paid out across fifteen ministries to house public officers. That’s a hefty bill coming straight from taxpayers’ pockets. These rental deals are signed off by the Ministry of Public Service, led by Minister Henry Charles Usher. So, is this money well spent, or could it be better used elsewhere?

Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service

“We are trying our best to make sure those contracts are kept within what you can find commercially. When the government of Belize rents from a landlord for a commercial space. They are competing with other tenants. One of the highest paying commercial tenants are the BPOs. So, they drive up the cost of these office buildings. I wish there was a government rate that the landlords provide to government. There is not but we want to make sure the offices are good.”

Here’s something that’s raising even more eyebrows, did you know the Government of Belize is paying rent to the same landlord for not one, but two major ministries in Belize City? That’s right. The Immigration and Nationality office on the Northern Highway and the Central Health Region office on Coney Drive are both housed in buildings owned by the late H.D. Thompson. And get this, the government is shelling out eighteen thousand dollars a month just to rent five floors for the Central Health Region alone. What’s more surprising? That office used to sit on government-owned land right next to KHMH.

Henry Charles Usher

“The reason why the ministry of health moves is that the building was condemned. So, now that we have moved them out, we need to do the renovations on that building so that we can put them back in their, or if KHMH has been expanded to be able to use. Again it is about making sure that the offices the public servants are in that they don’t, it is not something that is making them sick that it has all the proper amenities need to get the job done.”

Paul Lopez

“It is not the case that this family is being favored?”

Henry Charles Usher

“It is a case of availability, what is needed for this department of ministry and that is the primary choice.”

And then there is the Ministry of Blue Economy’s office on Seashore Drive. The government is paying fourteen thousand dollars monthly to rent that property.

Paul Lopez

“We understand the owner of that to be one Stanley Hoy. Do you justify entering into an agreement with him and paying fourteen thousand dollars for that?”

Henry Charles Usher

“I believe we looked at the cost for square footage to ensure it fell within the parameters the government has set. We found it was conducive to what the Ministry of Blue Economy needed.”

Paul Lopez

“That was only five years ago being rented for forty-five hundred dollars. How do you justify the jump?”

Henry Charles Usher

“At the time I believe it was residential. You have to look at the difference between residential before, now you have to look at the difference between residential and commercial property. When it was being rented for that price is was at a residential rate, which is less. Nobody is going to pay above a certain amount to live in a house, no matter if it on the seas side, beach side. For an office space the rent is different. It is based on square footage. Once it falls within the parameters of the square footage that government has set then it is justified.”

In Belmopan, the government is paying twenty-two thousand dollars to an unnamed Asian national to rent office space for the Immigration and Nationality Department.

Paul Lopez

“Who are we paying twenty-two thousand dollars to the Ministry of Immigration. My understanding is that it is an Asian National. Who is that person?”

Henry Charles

“I don’t know the name of the landlord in that case. But, again we have to look at the square footage to see how much of the building is being rented and what is the price per square foot.”

Paul Lopez

“Is it not in your ministry’s interest to know who these people are?”

Henry Charles Usher

“Of course and we do, we have all the files for everybody. I am just saying off the top of my head I cant say who that would be.”

We challenged Minister Usher to release the names of every landlord the government rents from.

Henry Charles Usher

“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.”

We will hold the Minister of Public Service Henry Charles Usher to his commitment. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

Unions Propose Construction of Government Office Complex

Here’s a thought—what if, instead of pouring millions into rent every year, the government actually built its own office complex? That’s the suggestion from PSU President Dean Flowers, who last week challenged the government to stop renting and start investing in public infrastructure. He’s also calling on the Auditor General to step in and find out—are Belizeans really getting value for money when it comes to these rental deals?

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union

“If we were to only invest in our office complexes, we would save the tax payers a whole lot of money in the millions. I can say to you that a careful analysis in rentals for some years will show as much as six million dollars in only rent. If you are to do a proper analysis on rental on a five year period it would amount to sixteen million Belize dollars. We can build a beautiful office complex for ten million dollars. So the government needs to stop giving away the land and instead acquire or withhold a peace of land and address these ridiculous rental prices, which we all know are inflated and I challenge the auditor general to review these numbers and to check in on these building to determine whether we are getting value for money. The contractor general, we are also paying a contractor general who needs to ascertain these things.”

Rental Expenses Revive Talks About Proposed Government Campus

So, we put the question directly to Minister Henry Charles Usher, what’s stopping the government from building its own office complex and ending the cycle of costly rentals? It’s not a new conversation, and according to the Minister, the idea has been on the table for a while. In fact, there were plans for a public-private partnership to build government campuses on Lake Independence Boulevard and in Belmopan. But those proposals hit some serious roadblocks. So, where does that leave us now? Is the vision still alive—or has it been shelved indefinitely?

Paul Lopez

“Members of the public are asking why not take that two point five million and invest it in that same government office complex, is that not doable?”

Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service

“Of course, it is and that is what we want to do, but it has to be done in a way that is sustainable. You can’t just, it is not only one building you are building, it is an entire campus. So, it will cost more than the two point five million that you mentioned. Whereas the government can come up with two hundred thousand plus monthly, upfront it might not be able to come up with the full amount to build the campus. That is why the PPP office approached Social Security to look at investing in the campus in Belize City, also looking at different entities to invest in the campus in Belmopan. Now, let us look at what it cost to build an office building in this economy, it cost about three million dollars and that is really a bare facility. There are very few entities that can finance a three million dollars project so they have to either go to a bank or credit union. The best rate they can probably get is around six percent. A three-million-dollar loan at a six percent annual interest is a fifteen thousand dollars monthly. That is what you will be paying monthly in interest, no principal payment. So which landlord will be renting for fifteen thousand dollars a month if you cant cover their interest payments?”

Northern Fishermen Owes Millions—Still No Action

Tonight, we’re asking the tough questions about accountability and fairness in Belize’s tax system. Over sixteen million dollars in unpaid taxes—yes, sixteen million—is still sitting on the books, uncollected by the Government of Belize. And it’s not just any business. Among the top defaulters is the Northern Fishermen Cooperative Society, which recently had to be bailed out by the Holy Redeemer Credit Union. It still owes more than eight million dollars. The Belize Tax Service has now published a list of tax defaulters, including names like Plexar Capital, Eco Friendly Solutions Limited, and Marine & Service Limited. So, here’s the question: why are these debts still unpaid and what message does this send to everyday Belizeans who do pay their taxes? When the Holy Redeemer Credit Union held its annual general meeting a few weeks ago, the spotlight briefly turned to the Northern Fishermen Cooperative, a group recently bailed out by HRCU after facing serious financial trouble. But while the President of the Board addressed the situation, one major detail was left out: the Cooperative’s staggering eight-million-dollar tax debt to the Government of Belize.

Wendy Castillo, President, Board of Directors, HRCU

“With the Northern Fishermen [Cooperative Society’s] loan, like we explained to you earlier, Northern Fishermen had a facility with the Belize Bank. They also had a facility, meaning a loan, with HRCU. When the bank foreclosed or decided that will no longer give those privileges to Northern Fishermen, Northern Fishermen Cooperative, a sister cooperative to HRCU, approached us. What members must realize is that Northern Fishermen has been a member of HRCU. All the fishermen, most of them, have membership with us. They have never been delinquent with us, HRCU; they remain meeting their obligation to this day, so they approached HRCU to buy over those facilities. They are highly collateralized, meaning that they have a lot of assets more than what, combining the loan with the one they have at HRCU, would amount to. So, for us, the board, as by regulation, reached out to the registrar, who is the Central Bank, to say we want to take over the loan from Belize Bank and bring it to HRCU with the present loan they have. We consolidate it, bring it together, and so the registrar said, we will allow HRCU to do that but because of the portfolio, the amount, we want you to provision for it in full.”

Couple Pays $16,000 for Land Never Received

Imagine handing over sixteen thousand dollars for land you thought was yours, only to find out it never was. That’s the reality for a San Pedro businesswoman who says she and her husband were scammed in what’s now being investigated as a land fraud scheme. The couple says they trusted Valeriano Vasquez, who claimed to be selling two parcels of land north of San Pedro. But after wiring the money, the land never changed hands—and worse, it turns out it was already owned by someone else. Now, with no refund in sight, police are stepping in. ASP Stacy Smith has the details.

ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer

“On Friday twentieth June, Dolores Teul, a business owner of San Pedrito area of the San Pedro town reported to police that on thirtieth December, 2023, Valeriano Vasquez, also known as Jimbo, offered to sell her two parcels of land located in North San Pedro between thirtieth. December, 2023 entered January, 2024, Teul reported that she paid over a total of sixteen thousand dollars, which was the price quoted for the parcels off lands, and she was issued a receipt. Teul also stated that on ninth May, she made checks at the Lands Department, Belmopan, where she learned at both parcels of land, which were the subject of the transaction, were registered to different individuals. Teul far stated that her efforts to recover the sums paid over to Mr. Vasquez has proven fruitless. As a consequence of this report, police are presently seeking Valeriano Pedro Vasquez, a Belizean justice of the peace of the Eli subdivision of San Pedro twon for the crime of obtaining property by deception.”

KHMH Union Blasts Management Over Payment Proposal

Tonight, things are heating up between the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority KHMHA Workers Union. In a late evening press release, the hospital announced its support for an ex-gratia payment to staff who served between 2001 and 2017, payments that would only be made upon retirement, resignation, or release. The hospital also highlighted a list of thirteen benefits currently enjoyed by staff, but made it clear: a pension plan is off the table. That didn’t sit well with the union. In fact, they say the release was issued in bad faith, right in the middle of an emergency meeting in Belize City. Union President Andrew Baird quickly called a press conference, saying members weren’t even given a chance to respond before the proposal went public. Here’s what he had to say.

Andrew Baird, President, KHMH Workers Union

“I can say to you that what is being presented to us with a four percent ex gratia payment is no way better than what we had with the four percent of the employer portion of the provident fund. Our members make it clear to negotiating team and the executive that this four percent of ex gratia is unacceptable and they must wheel and come again. Then we noticed that about a half hour a press release form the government press office comes out and while the letter ask us to be in confidentiality I believe the confidentiality was away from the media. They didn’t even give us an opportunity to meet and respond to members and discuss what was proposed. Then they put out a press release talking a bunch of nonsense. Shame on them indeed. Let me remind the CEO of this, in 2021 when then CEO Rosado sent out a letter to the staff of KHMH asking us to come over to the board, they made it clear that our benefits would be better than what was offered in the government service. What is offered is pittance and a slap in the face.”

Paul Lopez

“Is it your release that this press release was issued in bad faith?”

Andrew Baird

“From the get go at the table it was all bad faith, even when the government said to us on the fifth of June that we no longer negotiate with the government, we negotiation with Karl Heusner, that was in bad faith.”

Paul Lopez

“With this action by the government of Belize, does it fuel now the union to continue with its actions?”

Andrew Baird

“Over resounding yes is the answer, and I can tell you that starting tomorrow, they will get the sense. They will get the sense. You want to take us lightly CEO and government, then it will be on your hands. It will be on your hands and you can come and threaten us with the law. We are prepared. We are ready.”

Businessman Shot Dead at Home, Nothing Stolen

A quiet night in Bullet Tree Village turned tragic last night, as the community woke up to shocking news, the murder of a well-known resident, Ulric Willoughby. The sixty-year-old real estate agent was inside his home in the Vanilla Hill area when gunmen reportedly opened fire from just outside. Police responded around 7:45 p.m., only to find Willoughby’s lifeless body inside. Investigators recovered three expended nine-millimeter shells, but so far, no suspects have been identified. And this isn’t the first time Willoughby’s name has made headlines—back in 2011, he survived a violent burglary at his business that ended in a fatal shooting. Now, police are once again piecing together the details of a case that’s left a community stunned. ASP Stacy Smith has more on the investigation.

ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer

“On Sunday, twenty-second June 2025, police responded at approximately seven-forty p.m., responded to a shooting incident on Bullet Tree Road Cayo District. Upon arrival at the scene of the incident, the unresponsive body of Ulric Lyndon Willoughby. A six-year-old Belizean real estate agent was observed, which exhibited apparent gunshot wounds to the upper part of the body. Initial investigation revealed that at approximately 7seven thirty p.m., Willoughby was in the living room of the residence when an individual fired three shots from the veranda into the living room, which resulted in the fatal injuries of Willoughby. Willoughby is not known to be engaged in any criminal activities and the investigation into this matter continues.”

Reporter

“Are there any suspects?”

Stacy Smith

“No suspect has been identified so far.”

Reporter

“We know that he’s a real estate agent. And we know that a real estate agent had been executed some months ago in Placencia. Might he have been targeted because of his profession?”

Stacy Smith

“There is no information at this time to suggest that there is an excess between the incidents.”

Reporter

“So there’s no motive at all?”

Stacy Smith

“No motive has been asserting so far.”

Reporter

“But have he been receiving threats?”

Stacy Smith

“That information is not in the position of the police.”

Reporter

“Was there any robbery or theft element?”

Stacy Smith

“No. The individual would’ve fired shots from off the veranda into the residence and made good his escape.”

Reporter

“So might it be related to his work in real estate?”

Stacy Smith

“That information remains to be determined by the investigation.”

Drive-By Shooting in PG Leaves Man Wounded

A quiet Wednesday night in Punta Gorda was shattered by gunfire, as a man was shot right outside his home. Just before midnight on June eighteenth, forty-eight-year-old Danny Martinez was at his West Street residence when a gunman on a motorcycle rode by and fired a single shot, hitting him in the shoulder. Police say Martinez, who is known to them, was treated and released from the Southern Regional Hospital. Investigators recovered a single nine-millimeter shell from the scene, and tonight, they’re working to figure out what led to the shooting, and who pulled the trigger.

ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer

“Police are investigating a shooting incident which occurred at approximately 11:48 on Wednesday, June eighteenth, on West Street, Punta Gorda Town. The information that police have gathered thus far is that on the aforementioned date and time, Danny Martinez, a forty-eight-year-old self-employed Belizean was at his residence when a male person, who was on a motorcycle, fired a single shot which wounded Martinez to his left shoulder. The scene was processed where one expended nine-millimeter shell was recovered. Martinez, who is known to the police, was treated and released from the Southern Regional Hospital. Police investigation continues.”

Reporter

“Was there any, do you all know if there was any rivalry between the men or had they been socializing or that type of thing?”

ASP Stacy Smith

“He was, Martinez was at his residence and the information that we gathered was that somebody passed the residence and from off the street they would have fired the shot.”

18-Year-Old Loses Life in Maskall RTA

A tragic morning in Maskall Village has left a family grieving and a community in shock. Eighteen-year-old Triston Ortiz lost his life in a devastating road traffic accident on Sunday. Police say Ortiz was a passenger in a Toyota Hilux driven by thirty-four-year-old Gilbert Graham when the vehicle lost control and slammed into a bridge. Sadly, Ortiz didn’t survive the crash. Tonight, we take a closer look at what happened and what police are saying about the incident.

ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer

“On Sunday twenty-second June 2025 at around five-thirty p.m. police responded to reports of a fatal road traffic accident that occurred at Old Belize River Bridge located in Maskall Village. In the course of responding, police met a pickup truck where Triston Ortiz, an eighteen-year-old Belizean of Maskall was observed with visible injuries to the body. Ortiz was ferried to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital; however, he later succumbed to the injuries sustained. Initial investigations reveal that at approximately five o’clock a.m. Oritz was in a Toyota Hilux which was being driven by Gilbert Graham, a thirty-four-year-old Belizean when upon approaching the Old Belize River Bridge the truck collided on the railing of that bridge causing the truck to fall about twenty-feet into the riverbank. Police has detained Graham and a urine sample has been taken from him.”

Minister of Transport Calls on Drivers to Take Responsibility

Sixteen-year-old Terrel Cardines was simply riding his bicycle to the store when his life was cut short—fatally struck by a Floralia bus. His death has left residents outraged and grieving, reigniting concerns about speeding drivers and the dangers of navigating areas near the highway. Today, we spoke with the Minister of Transport, Doctor Louis Zabaneh, about what’s being done to make these roads safer—and whether this tragedy could finally be the wake-up call for change.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Last year, Belize saw an alarming spike in deadly road traffic accidents, more than ever before. That alarming trend sparked public outcry, with many calling for tougher traffic laws and better enforcement. And while the government has stepped up highway checkpoints, a recent crash along the George Price Highway is shining a light on another serious concern: road infrastructure. In places like Hattieville, where homes sit just off the highway, residents say simply getting around can feel like a life-or-death risk. Today, we spoke with the Minister of Transport, Dr. Louis Zabaneh, who says the government is now working on strategies to make roads safer, especially for cyclists.

Dr. Louis Zabaneh, Ministry of Transport

“This is the tragedy of underdevelopment and that’s why we have to do things like we’re working on so that we can have more resources to do things better. I want to commend our Minister of Infrastructure Development, who in this project, going on the on the George Price Highway, they’re considering now the shoulders, you need to have shoulders so that you can have bicycles on the shoulders. We know that on the Western Highway, George Price Highway, we have cyclists, our cyclists who train right for all the races that occur throughout the year, Holy Saturday race, et cetera. And we know as drivers how it could be quite dangerous. You have to have a certain level of empathy to the rider so that you’re not blowing them and because they’re in front of you. So a number of things are needed. So you need to have those shoulders, those riding lanes in the villages. So that people can be safe.”

Britney Gordon

“On Thursday, just before eleven a.m., a young man lost his life on this very highway sixteen-year-old Tyrel Cardines was on his way to the store on his bicycle when he was suddenly struck by a floral bus. It is alleged that Cardines rode into the path of the bus and the driver was unable to avoid him. But what you may not know is that just up ahead, there are three rumble strips meant to slow drivers down before they arrive at the curve. But are drivers actually slowing down?”

When there’s no traffic officer in sight, what’s keeping drivers from speeding? According to Minister of Transport Dr. Louis Zabaneh, the answer is simple—speed bumps. He says these traffic-calming tools are a key part of the government’s road safety strategy, especially in areas where constant enforcement isn’t possible.

Dr. Louis Zabaneh

“It’s a highway and then have the appropriate speed bumps where they need to be once it’s within the village to make sure that you control the speed and then the enforcement, the enforcement that is, as I talked about earlier, that is lacking. And we have to accept that these are things that have to be improved. And I, again, as I said, I’m pleased that CEO Williams is there now working very hard on the side of enforcement, on the side of training. So that we could do these things.”

While Zabaneh acknowledges the need for more development, he is calling on all drivers to take responsibility and hold themselves and others accountable on the road.

Dr. Louis Zabaneh

“And then for the buses for the drivers to be better trained so that they know where speeding limits and we have to put up the signage, right. This is thirty miles an hour. And then as a country, we have to start obeying law. If you see thirty people just fly through. You have stop signs. People just fly through the light red sometimes and people just cut in front of you. These are things now that as a nation for this to work. And that’s why I appealed everywhere I go that for things like this to work, we have to come together and change the bad habits that we’ve developed over the years.”

He is appealing to the public to call out unsafe driving habits among family and friends. Britney Gordon for News Five.