Patrick Faber, the U.D.P.’s Area Representative for Collet, chided the prime minister for relying heavily on the I.M.F.’s recent report on Belize’s economic performance. During his budget presentation, Prime Minister John Briceño spent a great deal of time praising his administration’s economic performance based on the I.M.F.’s report and projections. Well, Faber argued that the I.M.F.’s report does not validate the Briceño administration’s policies towards long-term growth and social equity.
Patrick Faber
Patrick Faber, Area Representative, Collet
“While the prime minister attempted skillfully to present a narrative, and I have to say attempted, because everybody knows that teleprompter and speech writer does not help the prime minister, the presentation is always still very miserable. I will admit that this time it got a little bit better. So I am suggesting he practice every chance in this house, bring the teleprompter more regularly so when the elections come around he will do a damn good concession speech when his party goes home. He attempted to skillfully present a narrative with optimism. He cited the IMF’s recent review and he lauded the economic achievements under his administration. It is imperative that we dissect these accomplishments with a critical eye and broader perspective. He placed significant emphasis on the IMF’s pronouncements, suggesting that it is an independent assessment of the administration’s accomplishments. Yet, it is essential to underscore that reliance on the IMF evaluation, especially when it is aligned with the government’s narrative, does not validate the effectiveness of these policies in fostering long-term sustainable growth and social equity for the Belizean people.”
Faber went on to address matters concerning unemployment, the debt-to-G.D.P. ratio, and inflation. He contended that the government’s statistics are disconcerted from the reality on the ground, as far as the price of goods and services is concerned. Faber also argued that the unemployment rate does not reflect the truth of what Belizeans are experiencing. Here is how he puts it:
Patrick Faber, Area Representative, Collet
“The Prime Minister’s speech proudly cites a reduction in unemployment. He said it has gone down from fourteen percent in 2020 to three point four percent in 2023. He is heralding this monumental achievement of his administration. Comparing these figures without acknowledging the change in the calculation methodology by the SIB is misleading and deceptive. It is, to be frank, an apples-to-orange comparison. When I searched the IMF page, the World Bank page, and I didn’t find anywhere where the debt to GDP ratio rose to a hundred and thirty-three percent. But, it is convenient again for you, on that side to paint a picture that is completely wrong. The highest I found was a hundred and three percent. The IMF page said, no data submitted. The Prime Minister claims that there is a decrease in inflation form six point three percent in 2022 and that it will drop further to three point one percent and he said it will go even lower, to one point three percent in the medium term. I was telling my friend from Caribbean Shores, the minister of the police, that this reality is different from the reality on the streets. But here we go again; you can talk figures all you want but the Belizean people will tell you, if you listen to them on the ground, if you are listening to them, you will know that what you say doesn’t exist. You will know that when you tell them that the prices for goods and services will go down, there has to be a disconnection.”
At the start of day three of the budget debate, there was no member of the opposition present inside the National Assembly chamber. Opposition Leader Moses Barrow was present at the start of the debate to deliver his address. He then left. U.D.P.’s Collet Area Representative Patrick Faber was present at the start of day two, but he too left early in the debate. Notably, Hugo Patt and Tracy Panton are dealing with personal and family matters. No one expects the U.D.P.’s Queen Square Area Representative, Denise Barrow, to appear. This morning, Prime Minister John Briceño announced that if opposition members are not present when Pickstock Area Representative Anthony Mahler finishes his presentation, then the budget debate will conclude. But Faber and Barrow did, in fact, arrive moments later. Here is how that played out.
Prime Minister John Briceno
“For the past two days, I don’t think if the opposition has spent combined two or three hours in this house, I think that is a lot. And I see that they are not here again. I want to put the opposition on notice that after the member from Pickstock finishes his presentation, if they are not here, then it is best we just put this debate to an end.”
Patrick Faber
Patrick Faber, Area Representative, Collet
“We have now endured I believe a full day and half, endure yes, because you feel that because the members on this honorable house, if they would focus on how many members are out or in the backroom, but wherever we are we listen to the proceedings. That is why my friend from Freetown, when I arrive on Wednesday I could tell him all he said. But you are attempting to intentionally paint a picture that the opposition is delinquent. I will show you delinquency now. Let us see who is delinquent. For you to get up and say you will close the debate, after you had us listen all yesterday to all PUP presentation, and you know it is only myself and the leader of the opposition, because, we have already given the explanation for other members. So if I would have gone on Wednesday or Thursday, there would be nobody to rebut you. So let us get it on.”
According to Tourism Minister, Anthony Mahler, overnight tourism has been hitting record highs in the first two months of 2024. During his budget debate presentation, Minister Mahler said that with the increasing number of tourists visiting Belize, the industry is expected to generate one point four billion dollars in revenue for 2024. Mahler also explained that the absence of a berthing facility in the Belize district continues to be the greatest challenge faced by the country’s cruise tourism sector.
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism
“We are projecting approximately eleven percent growth for Belize in 2024. Way beyond global growth, we have already recorded growth of over sixteen percent in overnight growth in two months this year. The month of January saw an impressive fifty-seven thousand tourist arrivals making it the highest January ever. This performance continued in February with an all-time high of fifty-nine thousand. We expect a ten percent increase in tourist arrivals in March, bringing it to over sixty thousand visitors for this month. Madam Speaker this would be a first for tourism in Belize and a new high for tourist arrivals. At this pace, we project that tourism will generate revenues of around one point four billion dollars this year. This is two hundred million more than we did in 2023. Big growth, I think it will be more than that too. The cruise sector also a saw resurgence in 2023 with a total of nine hundred thousand visitors from three hundred and one calls. This figure is a significant forty-seven percent increase, reflecting the sector’s continued recovery. There is demand, we have days with requests for more than five ships a day. But we cannot expect to take full advantage without a berthing facility in the Belize District. The longer we take the more the larger ships will continue to bypass Belize as they are doing now.”
Opposition Leader Moses ‘Shyne’ Barrow says he supports the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association’s continued call for a commission of inquiry into the sugar industry. Barrow publicly expressed his skepticism when PM Briceño and the association entered into an agreement to have the inquiry launched within ninety days. That was three months ago, and today Barrow said that he hates to be right on this matter but said, “I told you so.”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“I told you guys this. I did not want to get ahead of myself and start celebrating, because I told you ninety days we would be right back here. I used the word that it was just a band aid on a gaping wound. Unfortunately I have been proven right. I don’t want to be right in these instances. I would wish these problems get solved indefinitely. But I have to say I have to agree with the BSCFA in what they said as far as if a small business person starts a business, all the authorities goes down there and they want to make sure that tax is paid and that sort of thing is proceeding accordingly. So, I don’t think a multinational should be exempt from a process that regular Belizeans face. What is the problem with transparency, accountability, having all the details? Maybe it could be that there is some confidentiality, so while the commission of inquiry may happen you block out certain parts, maybe certain parts don’t come to the public but it would just be for the considerations of the parties involved, if the cooperation feels that their privacy is being invaded. They are a public company. It is private sector but they are involved in a public service when we are talking about the sugar industry that impacts so many people and we have had this impasse for so long and it is hard to solve it.”
Convicted attorney Oscar Selgado is appealing his ruling. News Five is told that Selgado signed the appeal documents himself. On March eighth, Selgado was found guilty of abetment to commit murder. High Court Justice Nigel Pilgrim ruled that Selgado attempted to hire Giovanni Ramirez to murder Marylyn Barnes, who had filed a complaint against him for unethical behaviour with the General Legal Counsel. In his ruling, Justice Pilgrim established Ramirez as the key witness for the prosecution, affirming the veracity and dependability of Ramirez’s testimony. Selgado is expected to be sentenced on April twenty-ninth.
A pregnant woman is spending her first night behind bars for failure to comply with the conditions of her Visitor’s permit. The Salvadoran, twenty-five-year-old Martha Hernandez, was caught living illegally in Belize after she had reportedly been here for more than five years. She pleaded guilty to the charge and was ordered to pay her fine of a thousand dollars forthwith, or she would spend six months behind bars. Hernandez paid the fine, and the magistrate ordered her expulsion. Hernandez will await her expulsion from Belize, which is expected about a week or so from today. Hernandez, who is in the early stages of pregnancy, was charged with failure to comply with the conditions of her visitor’s permit. Authorities say that Hernandez was found at the San Pedro Express Water Taxi Terminal in Belize City and could not produce any form of documentation to show her status in Belize. According to the immigration facts, on Thursday morning, the Belize City Immigration Investigation Unit conducted routine checks at the San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi Terminal, where persons of interest were stopped and asked to produce a form of identification. In doing so, she could not provide any documentation to show that she is Belizean, and she was taken to the Belize City Immigration Department Office, where it was discovered that her Salvadoran passport, which was issued on January fifth, had expired. Hernandez entered Belize in September of 2018 through the Western Border and was later issued an extension to remain in Belize until February of 2019, but she got another extension thereafter.
In a world often overshadowed by environmental concerns, one Christian woman’s innovative approach offers a glimpse of hope. Through the art of crocheting, Juanita Bailey not only transforms discarded plastic bags into reusable treasures, but infuses each stitch with heartfelt prayers. This week’s Look on the Bright Side sheds light on sustainability, showing that even in the face of adversity, there exists beauty, faith, and a path towards positive change. Sabreena Daly tells us more.
Sabreena Daly, Reporting
On a cool Monday morning, Juanita Bailey sits on her porch carefully stitching a bag. She’s also faithfully reciting her prayers.
Juanita Bailey
Juanita Bailey, Produces Eco-Friendly Plastic Bags “Every stitch that I put on, I pray. It’s very relaxing. I could be home and in a worried condition, and I would just pick up and start to pray.”
In an informal, yet deeply spiritual routine, her prayers break free from her soul and find their way onto a crochet stitch.
Juanita Bailey
“I know that God is with me and I pray. I pray every day and every minute of the day I pray.”
Juanita Bailey, a woman of Christian faith, is steadfast in her belief that the journey to God begins with a quest for answers. Regardless of whether those divine revelations come sparingly or abundantly, Bailey clings to her faith for the tranquility it imparts.
Juanita Bailey “I can see God’s hand working inside my life. Because there, there can be days that I am without, I’m on, I’m the last. And God came right in and said, and, you know, He gives Peace.”
Bailey is a member of the Olive Branch Church of Christ in Burrell Boom. It’s here that she found and cemented her faith. It’s also where she picked up a new skill after meeting a visiting missionary.
Juanita Bailey
“I got into this last year, June, when some missionaries came to our church, and there was a lady, Miss Donna, who brought a few with her and then she decided to show me how to do it. I never liked plastic bags. I hated plastic bags. And they’re all over the place. People throw them out in the street, blowing in the wind. You know? And it’s not something you can burn. It’s the smell, it affects people, and so I decided I’m going to learn this to help the environment as a recyclable product.”
These are no ordinary grocery bags; they are meticulously crafted from the same single-use plastic bags you’d find at any grocery store. Depending on the size, up to sixty plastic bags—each a potential hazard to the environment if disposed of improperly—are repurposed into a single reusable grocery bag. But where does Juanita Bailey acquire such a substantial amount of plastic bags to transform into these eco-friendly alternatives?
Juanita Bailey, “After I learned how to do this, I told the ladies at church to save their bags for me when they go shopping. And Sister Vanessa and two other sisters, they always go to the store, like maybe every two weeks and they would save their bags and Sunday morning when I go to church… Oh, sister Juanita, I have some bags for you.”
Vanessa Thompson
Vanessa Thompson, Church Sister “It’s not good for the environment. And with that, this is a big help. I do go to Publics to buy and when I buy, I buy very good. So when she asked in church, I said, well, no problem. Because even though I do use it for garbage, there is extra.”
Fellowship and service are fundamental pillars of the Christian faith. Uniting believers in communal support and active service guided by the teachings of Christ, fosters enduring bonds. This shared goal is exemplified by Bailey. It is also affirmed by Vanessa Thompson within their Christian community.
Juanita Bailey
“We have every two weeks, our ladies come together on a Friday night. And we sing, and we worship, and we share with each other different things. We could share craft, we could share, we share all our different lifestyles. You know, we share.”
Sabreena Daly
“What would you say is the importance of having this type of bond, um, as Christians?”
Vanessa Thompson
“It’s very important. Why? It’s important because you know, you have someone to fall back on. Maybe you can give them a call or they give you a text and you know, and you get a verse from the Bible. They give you a verse from the Bible. Maybe you’re going through a sad day and bum, she sends you a text message, and she makes you feel very happy. Or she gives you a call or I give her a call and you know, we feel very happy. We communicate with one another.”
As their shared faith strengthens the spiritual bond between the church sisters, they find that prayers serve as conversations with God. What we see here is a humble solution for environmental conservation. It is also a litany of prayers manifested in the form of a reusable bag, each stitch embodying a heartfelt conversation with God. Looking on the Bright Side, Im Sabreena Daly.
Gustavo Requena is the new director of the Office of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs. The announcement was made today via a press release. The ministry says that Requena joined the ministry on March eighteenth after what it described as a transparent recruitment process. According to the ministry, Requena has a deep-rooted connection to indigenous communities. Requena hails from a Maya background, offering invaluable firsthand insight into the challenges and opportunities confronting indigenous groups. The ministry says his upbringing provides a unique perspective essential for this role. But the Toledo Alcaldes Association does not feel that way. The association fired off a release this evening, saying that the Maya people vehemently denounce nepotism within the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs. The association says “His appointment, particularly in the absence of any consultation with Belize’s Indigenous Peoples’ representatives, the Maya communities, and their representatives, coupled with his direct familial relationship to the Area Representative of Toledo West, Minister Oscar Requena, is a total failure in building trust on this Government.”
On Thursday night, we told you about the immigration officers being accused of theft by Richard Shaun Dhee, a Jamaican national. He says that a woman immigration officer stole thousands of dollars from him while he was at the Philip Goldson International Airport. On Thursday, Prime Minister John Briceño, who is also the Minister of Immigration, was asked about the matter. The PM said that if the immigration officer is found guilty, she will have to face the music.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Basically what has happened as we all know, the Jamaican national has made an accusation and the police have reviewed the tape. And they believe that they have enough information or evidence to be able to do a full-fledged investigation. As I mentioned to the CEO, we should not get involved. These people, if that is happening, need to be held accountable. And if this kind of action is taking place within the ministry or within the department, it needs to stop. It needs to end. It needs to end now. And we need to find a way to get rid of all of those people that behave in such a manner. I’m told that the Jamaican was, and I can’t go into too much detail, but basically, passed over monies and then when he tried to leave the country, he was told he can’t leave the country. And so then he got upset and then made this report. But I want to again repeat, as I said earlier, in a previous interview when I was asked, I believe that this kind of behavior is unacceptable of any member of this government. And especially in this case, in the immigration department, I have an issue that I am responsible for. We need to get rid of that kind of behavior and we will not get involved. I don’t care who these people are. And they need to answer. And if they are guilty, then they have to face the music.”
