September, 2024 - Channel 5 Belize

Encouraging Children to Consume Healthier Foods

Today, non-communicable diseases such as heart disease, stroke, or diabetes are the leading causes of illness and premature death in Belize. Multiple risk factors lead to these diseases, such as an unhealthy diet. According to the Pan American Health Organization, the prevalence of obesity in Caribbean children is two to three times higher than in the rest of the world, contributing to the heightened rates of non-communicable diseases. In tonight’s edition of our Five Point Breakdown, we look at the approach to encouraging children to make healthy decisions and the challenges that come with doing so. News Five’s Britney Gordon reports.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

One in three Caribbean children are overweight or obese. The health of these children will define that of a generation of working adults. If action is not taken swiftly to lead them on a healthier path, these children will continue to be at risk of developing non-communicable diseases, such as hypertension or diabetes; some of the leading causes of death in Belize.

Why healthy eating habits must start at a young age

Robyn Daly-Faber, Nutritionist, MOHW

“Nutrition plays a very big role for growth, for development, for brain development, for proper development of a child’s physical. And also for the prevention of diseases. So I can’t stress the importance of nutrition. But we have to encourage people to know what to feed the child. Because saying healthy foods, what might be healthy in your eyes, might not really be healthy.”

Nutritionist at the Ministry of Health, Robyn Daly-Faber, tells us that obesity is not the only side effect of bad eating habits in children.

Robyn Daly-Faber

“We have what we call a double burden of malnutrition. A double burden means we have both overnutrition and undernutrition. So overnutrition is looking at obesity and overweight, and undernutrition is looking at stunting and wasting, which is having low height for age and low weight for age. So these are all a result of poor eating habits. And it starts very early, from children under five years old.”

Across the country, thousands of children reach for a snack at recess, but what are these children eating? Encouraging children to choose healthier food options is an integral part of tackling the issue. At Buttonwood Bay Nazarene Primary School here in Belize City, Standard Six student Jauhn Orozco explains that the decision between what he wants to eat and what he knows he should be eating is a difficult choice.

Why do children prefer junk food?

Britney Gordon

“Why wouldn’t you go for one of maybe a banana or an orange or something like that?”

Jauhn Ororzco, Student, Buttonwood Bay Nazarene Primary School

“Because it’s just too tempting to taste the chips.”

Britney Gordon

“Have your parents or your teachers been encouraging you and your classmates to make healthier decisions? “

Jauhn Orozco

“Yes, ma’am. They have. They’ve been saying to eat more oranges, and carrots. Because, I went to the eye doctor because I needed the eyeglasses because I’m on the device too much.”

Jauhn enjoys eating fruits and would likely be inclined to choose that as a snack if there was more variety in the servings.

Britney Gordon

“What’s been the hardest part of eating healthier for you?”

Jauhn Orozco

“It’s like the vegetables. They don’t really have. That sweet taste you taste in other foods. But I know it’s healthier for me and so I try to eat it as much as possible.”

Britney Gordon

“Which healthy snack is your favorite?”

Jauhn Orozco

“Probably the mangos. The mangos with with the hot sauce.”

Britney Gordon

“What do you think they can do to their snack options to make it something that you would want to eat?”

Jauhn Orozco

“They could put fruit salads, a mixture of different fruits. Not just selling it, only one fruit. A mixture of different fruits in one.”

For the past two years, Buttonwood Bay Primary School has been part of the Healthy Habits, Healthy Schools, Healthy Belize Campaign. It’s an initiative launched by the Ministry of Health and Wellness to promote better nutrition, physical activity, and hygiene in schools. Also offered to the students is a free feeding program, sponsored by the ministry. Acting Principal, Wendy Smith, says that the children have been receptive to the meals based on the menu options and the way vegetables are incorporated into the servings.

Making nutritious foods accessible to children

Wendy Smith, Acting Principal, Buttonwood Bay Nazarene Primary School

“Currently, we offer healthy snacks during break time like watermelon, mangoes, Oranges even cucumbers and the children enjoy that but for lunch, we have been providing different menus for them. Like today, we have black dinner and the infants love black dinner So we have different foods for them. We have rice and beans stew beans. We even had fajitas. We have quesadillas everything differently, but we incorporate the vegetables in them as well.”

Britney Gordon

“And in terms of ensuring that these lunches are also nutritious, don’t have too much salt in them. Is that something that goes into the planning process for these meals?”

Wendy Smith

“Yes, we take workshops. Basically, we have workshops with the cooks and the teachers, and the principal attend these workshops to see more or less what portion to give each child and what is the amount of seasonings and so forth to use on each meal.”

Students may be receptive to healthy feeding programs, however, the challenge lies in ensuring that they choose healthier snacks. Daly-Faber says that this cannot be pushed from one angle, but rather, tackled from all fronts.

Ensuring Healthier Eating Habits Among Children

Robyn Daly-Faber

“One of the challenges that we see is of course, behavior change the willingness to be open to having healthier options in schools. We also see some areas where availability or interference from outside vendors might be a contributing factor. And the willingness of, I would say the openness and the willingness of the school system to openly adapt to it. Because we need to have the entire school community be receptive and positively pushing this. It can’t be only when we promote an activity or a week that we see the change.”

Malnutrition exists across the Caribbean, which displays some of the highest rates of overweight and obesity in the Americas. To counteract the disparity in children’s nutrition, the Healthy Caribbean Coalition is pushing to implement front-of-package octagonal warning labels on snacks that are high in sodium or sugar to deter consumers from choosing less nutritious options. The initiative has not been implemented into CARICOM legislation, but several Latin American countries have begun adapting labels in compliance with the campaign. Sheena Warner-Edwards, Communications Officer for the HCC, explained the goal of the campaign.

A Campaign to target junk food regionally

Sheena Warner-Edwards, Communications Officer, HCC

“The selection of that particular label that spoke to persons, or that would assist persons in better, choosing or selecting a food that has less salt, we would say, because the label would read heightened. Or, in any case, after that individual purchased the product, they will be able to say about, would I consume this entire package, given it is high in salt? Or would I consume a quarter of the package and leave some for later or another day? So those are the kinds of measures again that the labeling standard would assist persons in doing. You know most people when they’re shopping they don’t have time to necessarily read the back of pack label.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

BCCI Awards the Winners of 2024 Expo Competition

The winners of the annual Expo Belize Marketplace Competition were awarded by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry earlier today. In a brief ceremony at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex, the business organization recognized three winners in various categories. They were selected from MSMEs that participated in the recent expo. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano with the following story.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

The 2024 Expo Belize Marketplace took place at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex earlier this month, attracting over ten thousand visitors over its two-day duration. Organized by the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry, this annual trade fair brought together businesses from across the country to network, expand their customer base, and showcase their talents and services. Today, the private sector organization awarded winners in various competition categories, including Best Overall Booth, Most Outstanding Up and Coming Entrepreneur, and Best Micro Booth.

Abigail Bood, Owner, Hey Abbz

“It’s been quite a journey, honestly, to see all the dedication and hard work that we’ve had to put into the expo, you know. I remember sitting on one of the shows and telling other entrepreneurs that when it comes to the expo it’s a lot of work and to be able to really and truly bring our best self forward, really and truly grinding and doing all the work, all the behind the scenes that people don’t see out there at the Expo, to see it come to fruition and see the results of it has been quite a blessing.”

For a second year consecutively, Abigail Bood has won Best Micro Booth. This morning, her effort was acknowledged by the chamber.

Andrew Usher, PR & Marketing, BCCI

“Fun fact about Ms. Abigail is that she’s not only the 2024 Best Micro Booth Award Winner, but she was actually the 2023 Best Youth Entrepreneur Award Winner. He Abbz was actually established on the basis of authentic craftsmanship, faith and community. While marketing jewelry is the presumed entirety of Hey Abbz, its true passion is people, to expand child sponsorships and offer employment opportunities to a single mother in a rural area.”

This year, over a hundred and thirty-seven businesses, eighty percent of which are micro, small and medium enterprises, participated in the expo. Among them was Little Ceramic Painters, the brainchild of Aaliyah Herbert.

Andrew Usher

“After graduating junior college in 2023, Aaliyah knew she wanted to start a business combining her passion for art and working with kids. Inspired by popular sip and paint events, she decided to add a unique twist with ceramics and that’s how Little Ceramics Painters was formed.”

Herbert was honored with the prestigious title of Most Outstanding Up and Coming Entrepreneur, making history as the inaugural winner in this exciting new category of the competition. She further explains how Little Ceramic Painters came to be.

Aaliyah Herbert, Owner, Little Ceramic Painters

“It was during the pandemic when we were in quarantine and a little bit after that, sit and [paint] started to happen. But I wanted to do something different where it’s not having to do with alcohol itself, but on canvas, because a lot of people feel like they can’t draw and this is where ceramics comes into play because it’s like painting, but more in a 3D form so you don’t have to worry about not doing lines or coming out because you can always fix it up with the paint, so it’s definitely easier.”

For Best Overall Booth, Smart Belize walked away as the winner. The scores were based on creativity, professionalism, innovation, and efficiency.

Tristian Coleman, Marketing Manager, Smart Belize

“It took months of planning, you know, we came up with a concept. It’s something that we started to work towards. We made sure that this event, we wanted to show what we can bring to the table and that’s exactly what we did. Truthfully, you know, there was so much work that went into place for this that by the end of the expo we had actually forgotten that we had entered the competition. So when we got home, I said, you know what, I remembered that our PR [department] submitted our entry and I checked and saw that we won. It’s a testament that really you have to give all you can to make sure that you put in the work and you will [reap] the benefits of your hard work.”

The Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry aims to ignite the business community’s passion for pursuing entrepreneurial ventures that leave a lasting impact. Isani Cayetano for News Five.

Consumer Confidence Decreased in August

The Statistical institute of Belize held its third press conference for 2024. Among the first topics that S.I.B. reported on was the Consumer Confidence Index. This study measures consumer sentiments that indicate how households are likely to behave with respect to consumption and saving. Through questionnaires, S.I.B. gathers data on how consumers feel about their households’ present and expected financial situation. They also gather information on how consumers feel about the present and expected future general economic condition. The index also looks at how consumers feel about making major purchases of durable goods, such as furniture, appliances, cars and a home. According to S.I.B. findings, the index was trending upwards between May and July, but saw a decrease in August.

Jaqueline Sabal, Acting Manager, Economic Statistics Department

“Now what caused this increase in pessimism among consumers? If we break down the CCI by components not that the drop in durable goods from thirty-nine point eight to thirty-seven point four represents a six-point two percent decrease. That was a main contributor to the overall decline in August. Again, over just the one-month period from July to August. This was followed closely by a five-point four percent drop in the expectation index from fifty-six point one to fifty-three point one, so the main two reasons for the overall decline were expectations and durable goods. Sentiment among urban consumers decreased by one point six percent by forty-one percent to forty-one point one, while sentiments among rural consumers decreased more sharply by five-point four percent from forty-right point three to forty-five point seven.”

2024 Second Quarter GDP Sees %10.5 Growth

The Statistical Institute of Belize also provided an overview of the G.D.P. report for 2023 and the second quarter of 2024. According to S.I.B.’s data, G.D.P. for 2023 totaled five point one billion dollars. That is an increase of fifty-three million dollars when compared to 2022’s G.D.P. As for the second quarter G.D.P. for 2024, S.I.B. says there has been an increase of one hundred and thirty-five million dollars when compared to the second quarter of 2023.

Christopher Hulse, Statistician 2, S.I.B

“Now looking at the second quarter of 2024, the goods and services produced in that period totaled one point four three two billion dollars. This is an increase of a hundred and thirty–five point nine million, or ten point five percent when we compare that to the second quarter of 2023. The primary economic growth drivers were the tertiary industry, including wholesale and retail trade, accommodations and food services as well as transportation. However, growth was shown across all three sectors. The primary sector was valued at a hundred and seven point eight million dollars. That is an increase of five point eight million or five point six percent when we compare that to the hundred and two point one million dollars in quarter two of 2023.”

The Statistical Institute of Belize also reported that the national inflation rate for August 2024 increased by three point one percent when compared to August 2023. This was driven by an increase in prices in all categories.

PEAK Outsourcing Launches New Office Space in Belize City

A brief ceremony was held in Belize City this morning to inaugurate a new office space that will be occupied by PEAK Outsourcing. The international company is establishing a foothold in Belize and intends to expand its services into Latin America. Chief Executive Officer Charles Harmornick and Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner were on hand for the launch. A News Five team was also present. Here’s Isani Cayetano with that story.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

PEAK Outsourcing, a dynamic newcomer in Belize’s burgeoning customer and support services sector, is making a bold statement by establishing a new office space, firmly embedding itself in the local industry.

Charles Harmornick, CEO, Peak Outsourcing

“This is a huge milestone for us because we had filled the facility across the street with a hundred FTEs [full time employees] which showed that there is great commitment for the North American clients and the UK clients to be positioning business in Latin America and Central America. So there’s a great demand for doing business within Belize.”

Establishing customer support centers and BPO firms creates numerous job opportunities for residents, ranging from entry-level positions to managerial roles. These jobs often come with training programs that enhance the skill sets of the local workforce, making them more competitive in the job market.

Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City

“Whenever you have enterprises investing in buildings, in acquiring land, in fixed assets, you know that you have to have some measure of confidence in the direction the economy is going for the country and for the city. So we are so excited about playing a role in driving jobs to our young people.”

By attracting BPO companies, Belize City can diversify its economic base, reducing reliance on traditional industries. A thriving BPO sector can attract further investment from related industries, such as legal services, financial services, healthcare and business solutions. PEAK Outsourcing emerged from a passionate drive to address and surpass the limitations often encountered with large, impersonal outsourcing firms.

Charles Harmornick

“What we’re looking for at PEAK is passion, desire, a willingness to learn and a work ethic, and if you possess all of those we can help you learn the skills needed to be able to do this. That’s a little bit different than the other outsourcers looking for a college degree. I’m not looking for a college degree. I’m not looking for somebody that perhaps graduated high school, I’m looking for a good, talented individual that I can invest time and energy and get a return on.”

PEAK’s mission is to elevate businesses by delivering top-notch outsourcing services that boost operational efficiency. The company is dedicated to fostering innovation, maintaining the highest standards of quality, and achieving service excellence. The goal is to provide each client with solutions that cater specifically to their individual requirements, ensuring they thrive in their respective industries.

Bernard Wagner

“It’s not only about the jobs, it’s about the careers and PEAK Outsourcing, clearly, is differentiating their business from the ordinary sort of call center type business. They are looking at developing careers and having that person feel a part of that entire company.”

Isani Cayetano for News Five.

K.H.M.H. Performs Life-Saving Heart Surgery

There is an artery in the heart referred to as the “widow maker”, because a blockage in that artery can lead to a fatal heart attack. On August eighteenth when thirty-five-year-old Floyd Moro began experiencing an unbearable pain in his chest, he drove himself to the San Ignacio Community Hospital. What he did not know at the time was that his left anterior artery was blocked and that it was a race against time. Moro eventually made it to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital that morning where he underwent a lifesaving procedure. Today, he is back home with his wife and two children in San Ignacio, thanks to that procedure. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

One month ago, Floyd Moro was racing against time. The thirty-five-year-old San Ignacio resident suffered an acute heart attack. Doctors refer to the artery that was affected as the “widow maker”.

Dr. Chen Lin, Cardiologist, KHMH

“So if that is blocked completely the mortality is high. The chances of you living afterwards or even having complications, or you have very bad complications afterwards.”

Moro recalls the moments leading up to the heart attack.

Floyd Moro, San Ignacio Resident

“I was working during the day and after work I went to the farm to do some spraying and I feel a chest pain grab me. So, one of my good friend said, this nuh look good. He said he would finish it, so he grab the machine and I gone rest up in the vehicle. One oclock in the morning is when I feel something grab me. It waked me up and I get up and gone drink a cup of water and the pain nuh come off. So I tell my wife I gwen dah hospital and she said she gwen.”

The clock began counting down for Moro.

Dr. Chen Lin

“The timing to get here, we call it the ballon timing or door to immediately poke the patients, usually it should be less than hundred minutes. That is the perfect time.”

He drove himself to the San Ignacio Community Hospital where several tests were done on him. He was then transported to the Western Regional Hospital where he stayed for a brief moment before being ambulanced to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. There Doctor Chen Lin and his team had already prepped the Catheterization Laboratory for Moro’s arrival.

Floyd Moro

“As I reach dah Belmopan, they give me more pain killers because the pain was growing stronger on my chest. So we gawn dah Belize and when we reach dah Belize, everything mih just like, dah just a miracle. Deh doctors mek I gone in the theater right so, no check up, nothing. They already knew exactly what I have.”

Moro was fortunate, because Doctor Lin was scheduled to go on vacation the following day. Furthermore, a team of physicians from Charlotte and Atrium Health were in country providing support to the hospital’s cardiac program. They too were scheduled to leave the country the following day.

Dr. Chen Lin

“Usually for someone that has a heart attack, the first thing we should do is coronary andriography. It is a procedure usually where we go through the leg or through the arm, we put a catheter right through the heart and we inject some dyes, and we take some pictures to localize exactly where the block is. Once we localize the blockage, we try to fix everything through the same hole we poke and so these are minimally invasive procedure, really micro arteries we fix, usually three to four millimeter in size. We try to do it when the patient is awake and we do it between forty- minutes to an hour.”

Floyd Moro

“I give thanks that people from North Carolina mih the yah, because they don’t do that kind of operation here. I went in the theater and Dr. Lin did the surgery with the help of people from North Carolina and Dr. Coye and I just glad I the yah now. During the operation the doctor that gave me the anesthesia put me to sleep and middle of the thing I wake up and I tell Doctor Lin that my heart still have a little chest pain. He said, I the eena your heart right now. I put my head down and went back to sleep again and when I wake up pain gone.”

Doctor Lin reopened Moro’s blocked artery through a minimal invasive procedure. A stent or a small tube was placed in the affected area to keep the artery from ever clogging again.

Floyd Moro

“I feel like I change oil. I feel new brand.”

Outside of Belize, this medical procedure can cost as much as thirty thousand U.S. dollars. At the KHMH, the cost is fifteen hundred dollars.

Dr. Chen Lin

“They actually lend us expertise, materials, donations. The plan is always, we don’t look for begging or donating. We have a five-year plan that eventually we will have a stand alone program. But we have to get everyone in place to have everyone at the right place and the right time.”

As for Moro, he is just grateful that Doctor Lin and the team at KHMH gave him a second chance to be with his wife and two teenage children at home.

Floyd Moro

“I know people always say things about the hospital, but they do a good job there. They really treat me good. The nurse and the staff really treat me good.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

G.O.B. Donates 477 Water Meters to Rural Villages

Over four hundred water and plumbing fixtures have been donated to the water boards of rural villages across Belize. Today, representatives from the water boards in the Cayo, Stann Creek, and Toledo districts gathered to receive donations from the Ministry of Rural Transformation. The equipment will allow each water board to connect households in their community to the village water system. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with more details.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Water is one of the basic needs every person needs to survive. But for residents of rural communities, access to that may be difficult to come by. For decades, villagers have relied on wells and naturally occurring water systems for drinking and washing. Now, the Ministry of Rural Transformation is bridging the gap between these communities and access to this human right with the donation of four hundred and seventy-seven water meters and plumbing equipment.

Valentino Shal, CEO, Ministry of Rural Transformation

“Most systems now provide water to their villages twenty-four hours a day. Before, people used to have water five hours a day, six hours a day, and sometimes the systems would go down for weeks. We don’t have those problems anymore. For instance, in villages like Santa Rosa, San Roman, every dry season. No water. San Antonio, Toledo. They get water three hours a day. It’s a very big village. You can’t live like that. You should not live like that.”

CEO IN the Ministry of Rural Transformation, Valentino Shal, explained that for years, local water boards have worked diligently to ensure that members of the community have access to water, but now, the government is ensuring that is accessible twenty-four seven.

Valentino Shal

“But who will fix it? Who will change it? Who can we depend on? Nobody. Just ourselves. We have to do it ourselves. We have to do it together with the government and we have to do it together with our villagers and we have to do it together with our leaders and our board. And I think that we have been doing a very good job together, not just the government, but everybody here. I’m sure that you are proud of the work you have done in your own village, with your own water system. And so we will continue to push for the sustainability of these systems. We want water, people to have water twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year. We want water systems to have money in the bank. And we want people to make sure they’re very comfortable where whichever village they live in this country, it shouldn’t matter.”

The equipment is valued at one hundred and twenty-three thousand dollars. This year, the ministry has purchased and distributed one thousand, three hundred meters.

Oscar Requena, Minister of Rural Transformation

“One of the first things that we have done is to improve the efficiency of how we support water systems. We support them by drilling new wells, by cleaning existing wells, superchlorinating wells when they are contaminated, support our communities by putting in place water boards. Providing training and capacity building so that they can manage the systems. We have seen where we have donated thousands of meters to water boards to make them sustainable. And that is why we are doing this here today. Because the goal of this is to make our communities and water boards self-sustainable. What does that mean? It means that by using meters, people are going to pay a more equitable price more equitable price for the water that they use.”

The meters will allow for expansion through new connections, water regulation, and conservation, which will help each water board improve its efforts at self-sustainability. Minister of Rural Transformation, Oscar Requena explained that with the installation of the systems, residents will be more conscious of the amount of water they consume.

Oscar Requena

“Because without a meter, people go wash their foot, wash the car, wash whatever on the tap, just di run and nobody cares. But by having a meter, people are going to be more conscious. You know once I turn on that, the meter di run, and that means the cents di go and I have pay. It also means that it allows the water boards to collect more revenue. And that we have seen how that has changed where communities have implemented meters. Their income has increased, has expanded. And if your income increases, what does that mean? It means that you can take care of your expenditure. You can expand water. And when your systems go bad and you need to fix something, you have money to be able to do that. And you don’t have to be depending on the government or the Ministry of Rural Transformation. That’s the big goal.”

Minister of State, Ramiro Ramirez, highlighted the hard work of the members of the village waterboards and the Rural Community Development Organizations. He emphasized the need to provide stipends for the members on the ground ensuring that the needs of the public are met.

Ramiro Ramirez, Minister of State, Ministry of Rural Transformation

“As he mentioned, now we have money and I’m glad that he mentioned that you guys deserve a better stipend. Because you work hard, all the insults goes to you. Once they don’t have water, they start to complain. But this ministry is doing our best and let us see who will put on Facebook that you guys are doing something good for them. So thanks to the RCDOs countrywide. Remember, meters are very, very good, very helpful. If you have a leakage in your system, that will show it because the price will go. It’s not only because a meter is just to affect you. The meter will never affect you. The meter will give you a service. Something that you don’t have to be twenty-four hours watching where is the leak. That will identify what is happening in your area.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

Police Department Investigates Fake Birth Certificates

The Belize Police Department is currently investigating a series of documents that appear to be fraudulent birth certificates, at the request of the Vital Statistics Unit (V.S.U.), the Ministry of Immigration, and the Social Security Board. The V.S.U. says that none of these documents were issued or printed by their system. The department scrubbed the documents to verify that they were not generated from the V.S.U.’s database.

A release from the government says that interviews are being conducted, statements have been collected, and charges are expected to be filed soon. Enhanced security measures have been implemented.

The release urges Belizeans “not to engage in the dealing or procuring of fraudulent documents, as it is only a matter of time before these acts are uncovered and prosecuted.”

Belize’s Exports Drop by 39%

The latest statistics from the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) show that both imports and exports declined in August of this year. At SIB’s third press conference for this year, Statistician II Ronald Orellana announced that total imports fell to $219.2 million, a drop of 20.2 percent or $55.6 million compared to August 2023.

Key contributors to this decline included a $21.5 million reduction in’mineral fuels and lubricants’ and a $9.3 million decrease in goods for ‘commercial free zones.’

Domestic exports were similarly impacted, totalling $43.5 million in August, down 39.2 percent or $28 million from the previous year. This steep decline was primarily driven by a $32.5 million drop in sugar exports, although some categories, such as citrus products and marine goods, showed modest growth.

For the first eight months of 2024, total merchandise exports reached $307.1 million, a decrease of 1.5 percent from the same period in 2023, largely due to the downturn in sugar exports, despite improvements in banana and citrus sales.

While imports increased by 8 percent overall in the first eight months of 2024, reaching $1.935 billion, the August figures signal significant challenges ahead.

The Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) also spoke on other key economic indicators, including the Consumer Confidence Index, Gross Domestic Product, Consumer Price Index, and External Trade Statistics.

Consumer Prices Increase by 3.1%

Consumer prices in Belize increased by 3.1% in August 2024, according to the latest report from the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB). This showed a continuation of inflation trends that began in late 2020 after a period of stability from 2019 to 2020. The most significant driver was the ‘Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages’ category, which saw a 5.1% inflation rate, largely due to rising costs for fresh vegetables (up 12.6%) and fruits (up 11.5%).

Among the highlights was the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for August, delivered by Melvin Perez, Statistician II in the Economic Statistics Department.

Other contributing factors included a 2.2% rise in transport costs, driven by a $0.67 increase in diesel prices, and a 7.1% increase in passenger transport services, marking its first rise since April 2023. The ‘Restaurants and Accommodation Services’ category also experienced a 4.9% increase, primarily from higher dining costs, while housing-related expenses rose by 1.7% due to increased rental prices.

The ‘Clothing and Footwear’ category recorded a 5.1% increase, and personal care products rose by 4.4%. The only decline was seen in the ‘Information and Communication’ category, which fell by 2% due to lower electronics prices.

Municipality-wise, Belmopan reported the highest inflation rate at 6.1%, while Punta Gorda Town had the lowest at 1.36%. The year-to-date inflation rate for 2024 is currently at 3.8%, driven largely by increases in food and accommodation services. Month-over-month inflation for August was recorded at 0.6%, indicating ongoing pressure on consumer prices across various sectors.