The Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC®) says it has initiated investigations into an incident related to the distribution of the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate® (CSEC®) Principles of Accounts Paper 02 at specific examination centres.
CXC® acknowledges the potential anxiety caused by such uncertainties and assures candidates and parents that these matters are being addressed with utmost urgency. “Upon completion of our investigations, appropriate action will follow.”
No information was given as to when or where this alleged action happened.
A Taiwanese NGO, the Cao Zhong Zhi Foundation, donated US$25,500 in medical equipment to the Ministry of Health and Wellness. The donation was made today during a ceremony hosted by Health and Wellness Minister, Kevin Bernard and Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Lily Li-Wen Hsu in Belmopan.
The donation includes 240 adult wheelchairs, 50 children’s wheelchairs, 80 steel commodes, 160 aluminium walkers, and 400 aluminium walking sticks.
A release from the ministry says, “Today’s donation underlines Taiwan’s commitment to aiding communities worldwide, particularly in times of need, and emphasises the importance of solidarity and cooperation in addressing global public health challenges.”
Minister Bernard stated, ““It is imperative for all global players, including Taiwan, to have the opportunity to contribute effectively to international health initiatives.”
The United Democratic Party (UDP) is calling for the immediate resignation or removal of Michel Chebat from the Ministry of Public Utilities. In a statement, the UDP criticised Chebat’s leadership in the ministry. The party said that it has led “unwarranted suffering of the Belizean people, especially the people of the Cayo North constituency.”
The UDP says “Chebat must go in order for the Ministry of Public Utilities and the Public Utilities Commission to prioritise the needs of the public once again.”
In a statement to News 5, Chabet said, “I was elected to serve all the people of Cayo North. Since my election I have been in discussions with BWS to bring water to the communities in Cayo North that do not have access to water. This particular area has increased significantly and the people are without the basic neccessity that water provides. It is my duty to find a permanent solution to that issue. This is not about band aid solutions like the UDP doing.”
Chebat further stated, “The residents deserve to have access to clean running water. And I make no excuse for lobbying to bring water to them.”
According to Chebat, “BWS will regain their initial investment through water bills. That is what plan Belize is all about…we are about bringing permanent solutions for the people and not about grand standing like the UDP.”
Last week, an immigration officer, forty-eight-year-old Saul Lisbey, was arrested for the crime of wounding. He stands accused of assaulting a woman at the western border office on Monday, May 6.
The video shows an immigration officer exiting his booth, andwalking towards the woman before pushing her to the ground. The woman hit her head and was taken to the hospital.
Tanya Santos, the Chief Executive Officer of Immigration, confirmed that Lisbey had been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation. In an interview, Santos stated that the incident involved an immigration officer and a member of the public, with video footage corroborating the details. Santos emphasised that such behaviour was unacceptable and assured the public that thorough measures would be taken to address the matter.
CEO of the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, and Investment, Dr Osmond Martinez, officially launched his candidature for the upcoming general elections. Dr Martinez announced this on his Facebook page. He wants to represent the constituents of Toledo East. Voters there will participate in a by-election following the passing of Mike Espat, who represented the constituency for six terms.
The late Mike Espat
In his statement, Dr Osmond offers “deepest condolences to the Espat family and friends as we continue to mourn the loss of the late Minister Mike Espat. Understanding the grieving process, I realize there is never a perfect time. However, in honoring his legacy, we must carry on the work. Minister Mike Espat’s contributions to our nation and specifically to the constituents of Toledo East have left an indelible mark on our hearts and our community.”
Dr Martinez says that he has “diligently worked to secure funding and support for initiatives aimed at fostering growth and prosperity across our nation. Under my leadership, project implementation within the Ministry has soared, increasing by 40% since 2019, with substantial investments now totaling BZ$208 million annually. These achievements underscore our dedication to prudent resource management and effective governance for the betterment of our citizens.”
“My candidacy is founded upon a proven track record of leadership, integrity, and results. As your Area Representative, I pledge to serve with unwavering dedication, advocating tirelessly for the interests of Toledo East and its residents. Together, let us embark on a journey of progress, prosperity, and unity, ensuring a brighter future for generations to come.”
As we’ve reported, Prime Minister John Briceño is headed to Cancun, Mexico on Saturday, following an official funeral for former Toledo East Area Representative Mike Espat. The purpose of the weekend visit is to meet with Mexican officials in an effort to resolve the energy crisis that has gripped the country over the past two weeks. Accompany him for the meeting are officials from Belize Electricity Limited. When we spoke with PM Briceño earlier today, he shared his optimism that CFE will be able to provide Belize with at least sixty megawatts of power.
Isani Cayetano
“PM, you’re heading to Mexico once again this weekend to meet with CFE representatives regarding our current energy crisis. Is there any optimism on your end that you will be able to return with something favorable for us as consumers?”
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“I’m very optimistic and excited about what can be accomplished. I think, the most important thing is that I believe at this point, I spoke with CEO Mencias yesterday. We managed to get the Mile Eight, on the Western Highway, generator going. Once that is working well we’ll be able to barely hold on but we’ll be able to do well with our energy needs, we’ll be able to meet them and when we get the San Pedro twenty-one megawatts generator going. That will also ensure that we can be self-sufficient. But let us not forget that when we connect to CFE there are certain hours of the day, like around two or three o’clock in the morning, we can get energy at two cents and three cents per kilowatt. So the plan is that we are going ask CFE if they could increase the maximum that they can sell to Belize. Presently, it’s at fifty-five megawatts and we’re hoping that we can get that at least to sixty, because when they can give us the sixty because it’s cheaper, we buy from them and then when it’s more expensive we can switch over. So it’s a matter of being that balancing act to ensure that we could get the best possible rates for our consumers.”
Belize’s high energy demand is the result of a growth spurt that has surpassed the existing supply that is being fed to the national grid. It’s a gift and a curse. While the economy continues to grow, the need for additional energy is not being met. Here’s the prime minister on the pending solar alternative.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“What has happened to both the Yucatan Peninsula and Belize is that, for instance, we are victims of our success. Our economy has been growing so fast that it has been difficult for BEL to be able to keep up with the energy use of the country. We are presently using the projections of 2028. That’s where BEL projected that in 2028 we are going to be, here we are in 2024. Our government, from the day we got in we started to… we knew it was coming, but we did not expect that it was going to happen in 2024. So we’ve been working on other projects, solar in particular, and a battery. I think it’s a forty-five megawatt battery storage with the World Bank. With the Saudis, when we spoke to them, they immediately said yes, we’re prepared to lend you, it’s seventy-seven million, I think, US dollars. Once they approve that, dehn noh wahn write you wahn check, then we have to come up with the actual designs and place where we are going to put it. The area has been identified, it’s going to be in Bomba, you know, by the Maskall area, and we expect that by July or August of next year, the first twenty megawatts is going to be online. Now BEL’s challenge is to ensure that they continue to work on improving their transmission lines.”
The entire Belize City was shut off from access to running water from early afternoon on Thursday all the way into Friday morning. When the water began flowing once again on Friday morning, it was only to some homes and the water pressure was extremely low. This morning, the Belize Water Services Limited notified its customers in Belize City that the water pressure would remain low up until six p.m. for the entire city. Residents in Ladyville and Lord’s Bank were also affected, though the outage was not as extensive for most of those residents. The issue, according to a release from B.W.S.L., was a break on the twenty-four-inch main service line that provides water to Belize City. According to B.W.S.L., the leak was caused by ongoing power fluctuations. They explained that the fluctuations inadvertently created a twenty-three-foot break in the service line. According to B.W.S.L., crew members worked through the night to fix the pipe and restore water. This morning, we visited the location where the work was being conducted. We also spoke with a couple residents.
Voice of: Carlos Cortes
Voice of: Carlos Cortes, Ladyville Resident
“Ih just buss and start srpay by itself and that was all I see.”
Paul Lopez
“And how flooded was it?”
Voice of: Carlos Cortes
“It was flooded for real and all of our material, right now we need to go work and all our sand wash weh. All the stand weh and we need to go deliver sand right now and cant do that. To me they did a good job. They come quick and respond quick and thing, because what they took an hour for the truck to come and start work. They did a good job. Ih nuh really affect me but I had to go buy refill water to bathe, cause I drink crystal water so Ih never really affect me.”
Paul Lopez
“So you showered with crystal water.”
Voice of Carlos Cortes
“Refill water, not crystal water, refill three dollars.”
Paul Lopez
“So it was a desperate situation.”
Voice of: Carlos Cortes
“Yes, I need fih guh bathe with the kind of work I do out here. I carry cement and them kind of things, I need fih guh bather.”
Voice of: Shayanne Garcia, Ladyville Resident
“Yesterday afternoon we saw water like sometime after one. And then we realize that they had a pipe that broke below ground right in front of the restaurant fine dining. The management and supervisor reached out to the boss and the called the BWS truck and they started working on the issue.”
Paul Lopez
“How much water was coming from underground at that time?”
Voice of: Shayanne Garcia
“A lot, because the entire front of the restaurant was flood and then the water came adjacent to the street, from the restaurant and went down from the back alley, so it was a lot of water. I live in an upstairs house at Lord’s Bank and mein I was so tired and I wanted to take a shower but I was not able to take a shower because we didn’t have any water. So I had to wait until late yesterday evening to take a shower.”
When we caught up with Chandra Cansino, the Chief Executive Officer at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, earlier today, we asked her if B.E.L.’s loadshedding and B.W.S.L.’s water situation have had any negative impacts on the hospital’s services. She says the utility companies prioritize the healthcare facilities, ensuring that they remain with light and water for as long as possible under any circumstance.
Chandra Cansino
Chandra Cansino, Chief Executive Officer, KHMHA
“The load shedding minimally, I must say that BEL does treat the hospital with priority. We are usually the last to go off and the first to come back in a countrywide scenario and when we have the shedding it is very infrequent for Karl Heusner. We do have our backup system as well. And so, they communicate with us to ensure we are prepared. So, we are very thankful for that. Regarding the water, we haven’t had any severe impacts. We had low pressure yesterday. But today so far so good so we are keeping our fingers crossed.”
Paul Lopez
“I know this is important for you all because of the work you do here.”
Chandra Cansino
“Of course, electricity we have our patients in the ICU, on ventilators, both are very important for us so we are grateful that we are prioritized by the utilities and they keep us informed. I think that is the best we can ask for until everything is regularized again.”
The People’s United Party government has taken grave offense to the Opposition Leader declaring Belize a narco state. In our last interview with Shyne Barrow, one week ago, he criticized the Briceño administration for the manner in which it is handling the threat of narco-related violence in northern Belize. In his diatribe, Barrow went as far as describing the country as a narco state, raising the ire of many, including Prime Minister John Briceño and Foreign Minister Francis Fonseca.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“It was reckless of the Leader of the Opposition and the people that are putting those ads, it was reckless on [their part] because they are not affecting the government, they are affecting Belize. We are nowhere close to being a narco state and they know it, but they are trying to get some kind of political support. What they are doing is that people are getting turned off by them with that kind of behavior, so I condemn that in the strongest way possible.”
Francis Fonseca
Francis Fonseca, Foreign Minister
“I think that’s absolutely reckless. It’s irresponsible, you know, it’s pathetic. There are so many other adjectives I could use, but certainly, it’s absolutely disappointing and I think it reflects very poorly on him. This is our country, [and] Belize is absolutely not a narco state. We know what narco states look like. If you have any idea about foreign policy and you have any understanding of national security issues, you would know what a narco state is. We have seen those in Latin America and parts of Central America as well. So Belize is not there and we absolutely are committed to doing everything we can to ensure that, as we keep saying, that no narco trafficking organization gains a foothold in this country. So I condemn in the strongest possible terms the Leader of the Opposition.”
