A major telecom showdown is brewing—Smart’s parent company, SPEEDNET, is taking the Briceño administration to court. The company has been granted judicial leave to challenge two government contracts awarded to BTL, claiming they weren’t even given a chance to bid. One of those contracts is tied to the Ministry of Education’s ConnectED program, and another was signed just this year. But that’s not all, SPEEDNET is also going after the Ministry of Home Affairs over a CCTV contract. Today, we asked Minister Kareem Musa for his take on the legal battle.
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
“I have not seen it. I was informed by the AGs ministry yesterday so I am hoping to have a meeting with the AG and the council over at the AG ministry to over what the letter, because I don’t think it is a claim, I think it is a letter of action, so I want to have a chance to review it with the attorney general before discussing it.”
And in other contract news—this one’s not heading to court. Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa has confirmed that the owners of ISecurity and Four Diamonds won’t be suing the government, despite their airport security contract being cancelled. Instead, the contract is going back to tender. So, it’s back to the drawing board for airport security services.
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
“I think there were certain rules and regulations within the act that were not confirmed with. So those security contracts, they have come out of them and as I understand it, the parties who were awarded the contracts are not intending to sue. So that is a good result, but as your rightly said, the prime minister has clarified that point, it did not go through the proper tendering process. So, it is now going back to tender.”
A senior police officer, Aaron Guzman, is set to earn seventy thousand dollars a year, plus a government vehicle, for serving as an advisor to the C.E.O. of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The deal is raising eyebrows, especially as public scrutiny over government spending grows louder. Critics are asking: Is this a smart use of taxpayer money, or just another example of questionable government contracts? But Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa says there’s nothing unusual here. According to him, these kinds of contracts are standard practice across ministries.
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
“It is not anything new. These government contracts exist in all ministries. Obviously the CEO comes from an administrative background, not a policing background. So having the type of advice and council from a senior like Aaron Guzman has been very valuable to the ministry and valuable to the CEO in the conduct of her duties.”
Still, the question remains: Should taxpayers be footing the bill for this kind of advisory role? And if it’s so common, should there be more transparency about how these contracts are awarded and evaluated?
Belmopan is about to become the new hub for climate action in the Caribbean. The University of Belize’s main campus will soon be home to the new headquarters of the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center, also known as the 5Cs. Ground was officially broken today, marking the start of a major project on five acres of UB land. And it all comes as the 5Cs celebrates twenty years of leading the fight against climate change. News Five’s Paul Lopez was there and brings us this report.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Today, the University of Belize and the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center broke ground for the construction of 5Cs headquarters on UB Belmopan Campus. An official groundbreaking ceremony was held at the location in tandem with the 5Cs’ twentieth anniversary. Executive Director at 5Cs Dr. Colin Young says it’s a mutually beneficial partnership.
Dr. Colin Young, Executive Director, CCCCC
“This is going to a mutually strategic partnership where the 5Cs will assist UB to develop a center of excellence, have climate change programs, provide scholarships and training for faculty and students and the 5Cs will also assist with resource mobilization to assist the university.”
The event saw the presence of a Caribbean delegation, including Prime Minister of Saint Lucia Phillip Pierre. Prime Minister John Briceño was also present to give remarks and participate in the ceremonial groundbreaking.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“For me it is a sense of accomplishment. As I have said before, the climate change center, when the 5Cs agreed to come to Belize, I was the deputy prime minister, and we worked several years along with the prime minister back then to get the support from the Caribbean to put the 5Cs in Belize. Now we can look back and realize that yes it is the right decision. Belize has everything. It is a living laboratory where you can go from the sea all the way up to the mountain and the forest, the wildlife, fisheries, the marine life. We have everything here. Twenty years later, as the prime minister, it gives a sense of accomplishment to see that something that you started off has come to this.”
It was a full-circle moment today at the University of Belize, as UB President Dr. Vincent Palacio called it a ‘homecoming.’ Two decades after the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center first started in a small room on campus, the university is now breaking ground on the center’s brand-new headquarters, right back where it all began.
Dr. Vincent Palacio, President, University of Belize
“So now look at us today, breaking ground for the headquarters. I say to 5Cs, welcome back home. Today marks a significant step forward in how we prepare our nation and region for the climate challenges ahead. The University of Belize has allocated five acres to the 5Cs because we understand that education must engage with national development. Climate change is not an abstract issue, it is here and our response must be rooted in institutions that serve.”
Saint Lucia’s President Phillip Pierre also took to podium to share a few remarks.
Prime Minister Phillip Pierre, Saint Lucia
“I see it as the start of the construction of a center of excellence. a center where there can be a part from the regular things that happens in these buildings. A center where there can be rigorous intellectual debates, a center of research where we can sit with our academics, intellectuals, people in the forefront of climate change and work to get some homegrown solutions to the climate crisis.”
The Caribbean Community Climate Change Center will continue to celebrate its twentieth anniversary throughout the course of the week. Tonight, an award ceremony is being hosted in Belize City. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
Today’s not just another day at sea, it’s International Seafarers Day, a time to recognize the unsung heroes who keep global trade moving and our shelves stocked. Right here in Belize, efforts are underway to make sure every vessel in our waters is not just seaworthy, but safe for the hardworking crews on board. The Belize Port Authority and IMMARBE have teamed up for a two-week training focused on flag safety procedures. News Five’s Britney Gordon was on the ground to bring us the full story.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Before any ship sets sail, it must pass a serious safety check and that includes meeting international standards tied to the flag it flies. For vessels registered under the Belizean flag, that means strict compliance with global maritime and environmental rules. To make sure those standards are met, the Belize Port Authority and IMMARBE have teamed up with experts from the Italian Shipping Academy for a special training right here at home. Acting Ports Commissioner Kaylon Young says it’s a big step forward in keeping our waters and our crews safe.
Kaylon Young
Kaylon Young, Acting Ports Commissioner
“Internationally we are obligated to inspect vessels. And that’s from flag state perspective and coastal State perspective. So vessels that fly oil flag internationally, they must be inspected by IMMARBE. And the foreign vessels that come into our waters must be inspected by the Belize Port authority. We don’t have these trainings here in country, so we often have to send people outside of the country to do these training and get this technical expertise. What we’ve done now is to maximize on our on our resources and brought this, brought the Italian institution here to Belize to come and train the participant’s”
The International Merchant Marine Registry of Belize (IMMARBE), which facilitates the registry of vessels under the Belizean flag, plays a crucial role in ensuring that these vessels adhere to conventions, laws and regulations that Belize has in effect. Kenisha Allen, of IMMARBE, says that the organization jumped on the opportunity to strengthen their inspection capacity.
Kenisha Allen
Kenisha Allen, Office Administrator, IMMARBE
“We’re sister companies, I guess that’s the term that we can utilize. With the International Maritime Organization, Belize is a member state. Being a part of that organization, you have the flag, which is the registry, the port and coast. So we’ve all integrated into ensuring that we all have similar types of training and collaboration for different maritime events, such as the Day of the Seafarer, which is today June twenty-fifth, and is celebrated globally.”
The Italian Shipping Academy typically trains a limited number of participants through the International Maritime Safety Security and Environment Academy department. This year, the organization wanted to increase the number of participants they were able to reach by travelling to Belize for the session.
Carmen Giordano
Carmen Giordano, Italian Shipping Academy
“The Italian Shipping Academy I.M.S.S.E.A. department is used to provide for vocational courses on maritime safety and security issues according to the IMO models, with the IMO collaboration with the IMO. I.M.S.S.E.A. is born on 2009. So since that date we are going to provide for this kind of course. And when IMMARBE and the Belize Port Authority reached us out for asking us for expertise and to improve the capacity building of their officers, we always, we directly said yes. Absolutely, yes.”
The academy built a model course tailored specifically to Belize’s needs to identify inefficiencies and promote safer, cleaner shipping procedures.
Kaylon Young
“For ships that come into Belizeans waters, we have to ensure all their emergency equipment are open park emergency, fighting gears, emergency generator. If the ship loses power, we have to ensure that the ship has sufficient means to regain back its power. If the ship loses steering. We have to ensure that the emergency steering is functional. We have to ensure if there’s a fire board, the ship has the capacity to fight this fire board. We have to ensure that the ships are not polluting discarding any pollutants in our waters. And so this training helps us to develop that capacity to know what to look for. So when we go and do our inspections, we are more equipped with the knowledge and the expertise to ensure the safety of our resources.”
This training is not just about technical procedure, it is about preserving lives and ensuring the Belize is doing its part to create safer waters globally. Britney Gordon for News Five.
Is Belize really stuck in the past when it comes to economic progress? That’s what a new study from the University of Belize suggests, but Prime Minister John Briceño isn’t convinced. Earlier this week, renowned economist Professor Victor Bulmer-Thomas presented a bold claim: that Belizeans’ living standards haven’t improved in over two decades. The research, titled ‘The Belizean Economy in the Twenty-First Century’, is sparking serious debate. But the Prime Minister says hold on. He hasn’t read the full report yet, but he’s already questioning its conclusions. In fact, he’s suggesting the researchers check with the IMF before making such claims. So, is this a wake-up call or just academic noise?
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Well then I think they need to go and talk to the IMF. It is not us doing that. It is the IMF not us, so go and talk to the IMF and if they know than the IMF that is fine. I have just got in touch with the professor. I have just started reading it. But what it points out is that under the UDP this country has regressed. We are finally catching up to where we were in 2007 when it was a PUP government and in four years we have done that to turn things around and we are building on that that. We are working the BPOs, tourism, agriculture, exports e have in agriculture we have never seen before. We have Guatemalans coming in to buy eggs, milk, chicken, coconuts, everything we have and we need to take advantage of that.”
The Caribbean is facing a deadly challenge: illegal firearms are flooding the region, fueling gang violence and pushing homicide rates to alarming levels. In response, three major players, CARICOM IMPACS, the European Union, and France, have joined forces to fight back. At a recent five-day training in Trinidad and Tobago, experts from across the region gathered to tackle the issue head-on. The aim is to build stronger intelligence networks, share best practices, and train frontline officers to disrupt the flow of illegal weapons. Lt. Col. Michael Jones didn’t sugarcoat it; he says illegal guns are ripping through our communities and leaving devastation in their wake. He emphasized that without regional cooperation and intelligence sharing, efforts to stop the violence will fall short. The numbers are sobering. Between 2009 and 2018, over twenty-two thousand illegal firearms and three hundred thousand rounds of ammunition were seized in the Caribbean. And from 2018 to 2022, nearly three-quarters of the guns traced in the region came from the United States. So, what’s being done? The Caribbean Firearms Roadmap now includes sixteen countries working together to tighten borders, improve investigations, and reduce gun violence. International partners like the EU, Canada, and the UK are also stepping in with funding and technical support. Will this new wave of cooperation be enough to stop the bloodshed—or is it just a drop in the bucket? As the workshop wraps up, participants are being urged to turn training into action. Because in this fight, coordination and trust might be the most powerful weapons of all.
It was a proud and emotional day at the Police Training Academy as two hundred and sixteen fresh-faced recruits officially marched into the ranks of law enforcement. That’s right, Squad 98 has completed their training, and the cheers from family and friends filled the air as they celebrated this major milestone. But here’s what really stood out, a significant number of these new officers are women, marking a powerful shift in the makeup of our police force. We caught up with Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa at the passing out ceremony to hear what this means for the future of policing in Belize.
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
“This set of graduates form part of squad ninety-eight which proudly includes fifty-two women police officers graduating today. Over the last few years we have had a major adjustment in the curriculum, very heavy emphasis on the human rights aspect of policing, community policing, use of technology as a tool in fighting crime. These officers are freshly minted, two hundred and sixteen of them and they will now make up a total of close to three thousand police officer in the Belize Police Department.”
Reporter
“How have you seen the culture change with the last two squads. They were trained similarly with human rights being at the forefront.”
Kareem Musa
“Funny enough I was having this discussion with one of our counterparts, a member of the US Embassy team and he is telling that since 2020 he has seen a dramatic shift in the style of policing and the level of trust the Belizean people have in the Belize Police Department. Obviously it is not going to be perfect, but we can see the strides that have been made and the confidence being restored by the public.”
Prime Minister John Briceño said that it is “unfortunate” that the Belize Tax Service made the names of tax defaulters public. He said, “I am speaking for myself. It should not have been made public. We should have continued working with them.”
On Tuesday, BTS Director General Michelle Longsworth said the move was supported by law under Section 64A of the Tax Administration and Procedure Act. But Briceño believes the action was unnecessary.
He said many small businesses face tax problems simply because they don’t understand how to file correctly.
“We cannot write off taxes. It is only the National Assembly. But how do we help? We will try to negotiate with the Belize Tax Service to try to lower the interest or the penalties to make it more affordable,” he said.
The Prime Minister also pushed back against the claim that his administration’s tax approach is anti-business.
“We do not want to get anybody out of business. We want more businesses and entrepreneurs. That is why we have been working closely with BELTRAIDE for them to be able to thrive in this economy,” Briceño said.
Prime Minister John Briceño told News 5 today that the government’s rental expenses are not “new information,” despite criticism from the Public Service Union (PSU).
PSU President Dean Flowers revealed last week that the government is spending over two million dollars annually on rent.
PM Briceño told News 5 that his administration has been actively working to reduce that figure.
He pointed to ongoing efforts, including the construction of a judiciary centre in Lake Independence, Belize City, in partnership with the Social Security Board.
He said, “We’re working along with Social Security and the government of Belize, and we’re getting some investments from, I think, holders to be able to build a huge compass to quote everything there. We are working on that. We want to partner, either with the private sector or ourselves.”
He stated that the 5Cs’ groundbreaking is an example of the government’s efforts to reduce rental spending. “Look at this place right here with the 5Cs the government pays for that. We are paying $22,000 a rent amount that can pay a mortgage. And that’s exactly what we’re working,” Briceño said.
“We are working on that; we are addressing it,” he added.
