December 13, 2024 - Channel 5 Belize

PM Proposes to Tighten Enforcement of Traffic Laws

The recent wave of fatal traffic accidents has left many families and friends heartbroken, prompting calls for better infrastructure. Last Saturday, a tragic head-on collision on the George Price Highway, between San Ignacio and Benque Viejo, claimed ten lives, including a motorcyclist who crashed into one of the vehicles. Just a week earlier, in Orange Walk District, a student from Ocean Academy High School lost his life when the van he was in suffered a blowout, veered off the road and flipped multiple times. In response, Cayo North Area Representative Michel Chebat announced on Thursday that the Benque Road will be rebuilt. Today, Prime Minister John Briceño presented the first measures the government is taking, not only to protect lives but also to support first responders who face the traumatic aftermath of these accidents.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“We also have to find whatever help we can give our first responders some kind of counseling. So I asked the Minister of Health, you know, to see what arrangements we can – and he could speak also with the Minister responsible, Minister Habet, to put some kind of program so we can help these first responders. I think it was kind of distasteful for people to hurry put up the pictures of the people that died, not how they looked, but how they looked when they were alive to say that this person is dead. And without no consideration of the trauma that the family is going through. And maybe we need to find some kind of – I hate to put it this way, some kind of legislation to prevent this kind of things from happening. In many instances you don’t even know what happened and then somebody on social media already blasts what happened and in some instances it’s not even the right information. But, I think that generally our country came together during, and still during this difficult period. But too many Belizeans are dying as a result of road traffic accidents. And too frequently, these tragedies could have been avoided if we had less reckless drivers. And we really need to see how we could tighten it so that when people know better, that if you drive under the influence and get in an accident, that we are going to come at you. In the terms of enforcement, we’ve also tasked the Ministry of Transportation to establish more around the clock – 24-hour highway surveillance, but to put more effort into At night, because most of the time it’s at night when people drive after they come from a party or they are drinking to see how we could control or stop as best as we possibly can these driving under the, under the influence. We have to amend the laws for the use of speed guns, breathanalyzers and dash cams. It will also be made to equip war officers with the requisite tools to bring offenders to justice.”

Shyne Barrow Agrees with PM Proposed Traffic Measures

Leader of the Opposition, Moses “Shyne” Barrow, echoed much of what the prime minister said in his presentation. He emphasized the need for the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing to conduct a thorough analysis of Belize’s traffic management system to identify areas for improvement. Barrow also supported the call for stricter enforcement and holding traffic violators accountable.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“I believe that there should be a comprehensive study to see what more can be done from the Ministry of Infrastructure. I believe we need to move from the two-way highways and to expand the George Price. Mile sixty-eight is a perfect example of that. That should be a four-way highway. I think that’s where we need to go as far as infrastructure is concerned. Lighting is important as well, but I would agree that some of the solutions put forward by the Prime Minister seem to be headed in the right direction as far as breathalyzers, speed detectors, et cetera. I know that there was a story that there’s a bunch of breathalyzers in storage somewhere. But that all comes with a human resource, right? We need more people out there. Enforcing and enforcement has been a terrible challenge for this administration, but I do believe a comprehensive study needs to be done to see where it is a matter of enforcement, where the public needs to be held accountable and needs to be, properly, policed to ensure that they are complying with the law and what we can do as far as in expanding infrastructure, um, to make our roads more safe.”

PM Says Government will Lose Five Million through GST Waiver

Prime Minister John Briceño shared that the GST waiver for the two weekends before Christmas was the government’s way of giving shoppers a break from the high cost of living this holiday season. After his presentation in the House, we asked him how much the government expects to lose in GST revenue due to the waiver and what plans are in place to recover those funds.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“We decided to find an innovative way how we can keep our people, give them a chance, give them an ease, and at the same time to be able to help them to stay and spend their monies in Belize. And this is how we came up with that idea. We are giving a tax – a GST holiday for Saturday and Sunday of this week. And next weekend, Saturday and Sunday again. So that people can save at least twelve-point-five percent on their purchases. And once we lose on the revenues to us it’s not only about the money. As a government we need the money, but we want to make people happy and that will make people spend the money here and when they spend money here, they spend it in Belizean-owned businesses and they hire people and then eventually we’ll be able to collect the taxes but we’ll still make it up at the day.”

Marion Ali

“The GST waivers that so many people are thankful for, how will the government recover those necessary taxes that you would have collected had you not given this offer? And how much can you say it works out to?”

Prime Minister John Briceno

“It is estimated it’s going to be a minimum of five million dollars that we’re going to be foregoing but we believe that by Belizeans not going to Chetumal, that they could keep their money here, we can make up for a portion of the losses. We believe that by Belizeans, quite likely since they’re saving twelve and a half percent, most of them are going to spend more. to help us to be able to capture that. But also there’s something that you can’t put monetary value. And that is the joy of families and the joy of the children and saying, okay, I could get a gift, you know, or spend a better, happier Christmas than before. There’s no monetary value for that. So, it is something that we, we, we fully recognize and know that, um, we could do with the money. But, at the end of the day, it is about serving people and making them feel good about themselves. When you look at Belize City, the, the, um, when they lit the Christmas tree, it was two weeks ago, you see. I mean, thousands of people are out there. The Mopan had a wonderful one. Tonight we’re going to do one in Orange Walk Town in Las, in Las Banquitas, out there. You can’t put a monetary value on that.”

Opposition Leader Raises Questions and Slams GST Waiver

During today’s House Sitting, there was a lively exchange between Leader of the Opposition Moses “Shyne” Barrow and Prime Minister John Briceño. Barrow pressed for specific answers to his questions but was dissatisfied with the responses he received. He later shared his frustrations with reporters outside. We’ll listen to part of that exchange and then hear Barrow’s take on the Prime Minister’s reasoning for the GST waiver.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

”My content had no aspersions because you would not allow that, Madam Speaker.”

Speaker Valerie Woods

“Thank you. Honourable Prime Minister, can we just answer the question? We’ve already dealt with the first.”

Prime Minister John Briceño

“Madam Speaker, just a point I’m making, that if he wanted information, he could have gone and speak to the Honorable Minister, and he would have given all the information. But he thinks he will embarrass the Minister to come and ask that question here. Likewise, Madam Speaker, the same thing comes along with the issue of fuel. The member from Mesopotamia ought to know t how to frame his question in such a way that it does not expose himself.”

Moses “Shyne” Barrow

“It took them four years to come up with this right before the general elections are supposed to be called? So he said he came up with it in two weeks. So for four years, he didn’t know that Belizeans need relief? For four years, we were dealing with COVID, then we were dealing with inflation for the last three years. And now, right before election, they give this carrot, which is not real because if you look at the price gouging crisis that we have been having, where even when they made certain provisions for women’s necessities, and you’d go to not be taxed or to have certain tax exemptions. You’d go, I have constituents that complain that they go to the market and the prices don’t change. Sugar, which is a control price. They sell for more than the control price, so to say that the G.S.T will do anything when some of these supermarkets don’t even report the proper G.S.T and can build in the price to include what would have been G.S.T and all the government gets to do is say, “Oh, we have waived G.S.T,” but they have proven very ineffective and incompetent when it comes to enforcement.”

Officers Charged for Dyandre Chee’s Mare Out on Bail

Tonight, two police officers, Salomen Cowo and Esmin Flores, are finally seeing their High Court bail of twenty thousand dollars executed, allowing them to go home for Christmas while awaiting their murder trial. Back in July, Justice Derick Sylvester granted them bail but stipulated that if their case wasn’t tried by December 2024, they would be released. Today, that order is being fulfilled. The officers, charged with the murder of Dyandre Chee in March 2023, received the good news virtually from their prison cell during a High Court session with Justice Rafael Morgan. Represented by attorneys Richard “Dickie” Bradley and Lynden Jones, the officers are now preparing to secure their bail. The tragic incident that led to their charges involved the shooting death of Chee, which sparked controversy in Orange Walk. An eyewitness claimed the officers shot Chee without provocation, contradicting the officers’ account that they believed they were under fire. Despite objections from the DPP, Justice Sylvester granted bail with conditions, including weekly check-ins and no interference with witnesses. Now, after nearly two years, the officers are set to reunite with their families for the holidays.

PM on BNTU: “For everything dehn wahn strike”

Earlier this week, the Ministry of Education assured the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) that all outstanding allowances and increments for teachers will be paid by December twentieth. This announcement came after the BNTU threatened industrial action in January 2025. It looks like the Briceno administration has managed to avoid a crisis. When we spoke with Prime Minister Briceño today, he remarked that the union seems quick to threaten strikes rather than sitting down to negotiate calmly.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“We’ve always been willing to sit down and meet with the BNTU and I don’t think it’s teachers and if I said teachers then I misspoke. I was meaning the leadership or some leaders in the BNTU. For everything dehn wahn strike, dehn wahn strike. I mean, come on mein, we have more important things to do. Let’s sit down, we have a government that’s prepared to work with you and listen to you and do as best as we can. I think this has been the most open government that the BNTU has ever had and one of the best ministers of education that we’ve had under Minister Fonseca, and he gets out of his way to try to deal with them, to meet with them to work with them and try to meet the request and in some instances their demands. In some of these instances, the cases are merited, I’m not in any way suggesting that it’s not merited, but what is that merited to say if we don’t get it we wah strike? Come to us and see how we can get it worked out. And in many instances, it is not us, it is the management that has not been sending all the information, so we see the BNTU or more importantly the teachers as our partners. We are in this thing together and I appreciate that at the end of the day level heads prevailed.”

Boledo Draws Over Five Million in Profits in a Year

The Belize Government Lotteries Limited took over the lottery and Boledo in August 2023, and it’s been a year since they revamped the games. To celebrate this anniversary, they’re raffling off a million dollars just in time for Christmas! Prime Minister John Briceño shared that since the first revamped sale in November 2023, the government has raked in over five million dollars in profits, with total sales surpassing a hundred million dollars. He mentioned that these profits will go towards supporting sports and helping needy families.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“The balance sheet, and we are going to be making it public to everybody. The balance sheet is very strong with total assets of six point seven million dollars, made up of several assets, including equipment and software development. Please note that B.G.L. was funded through the Ministry of Investment with monies provided by the government of Belize. So all of us, all taxpayers, made an investment in this company. The Profit and Loss Statement reveals a total net income of five point eight million, which is as follows. The revenues between November and March were thirty-six point nine million. The cost of sales, the winnings were thirty-point-six percent. These are the winnings and commissions. Administrative expenses were five hundred thousand, which generated a net profit of five-point-eight percent. The financial audited statements, or the financial audit reveal a very healthy cash flow position at the end of March of 2024, with cash and cash equivalent balance of five million, five hundred and eighty-nine thousand, one hundred and fifteen dollars. The first audited financials of B.G.L represents a healthy statement of accounts of the government’s institution that now manages the government’s lotteries for and on behalf of all Belizeans. For the first time in history, we can report that for the first four months of sales, we believe Boledo is already benefiting the Belizean people with 5. 8 billion dollars. million dollars. Madam Speaker, the board or the management of B.G.L decided to do an unaudited financial report for twelve months. So, you could see how much we, how much we can make in a full year of operations for, from December 1st of 2023 through November 30th of 2024. And this report was presented to the management to the board of the government lunches limited BGL for the period of November. Well, when we, the first seal was on November 21st, 2023, right up to November 30th, 2024. BGL recorded a series of a hundred and eleven million, one hundred and sixty-four thousand, five hundred and eighty plus eighteen cents, which was for Boledo and lottery sales only.”

Big Name Lawyers to Defend GOB in Redistricting Case

Earlier this week, it was revealed that the Government of Belize has enlisted senior counsels Eamon Courtenay and Godfrey Smith to handle a case filed by the Belize Peace Movement. The case, which is before the High Court, concerns the long overdue redistricting exercise. When we caught up with the Prime Minister outside today’s House meeting, we asked him about these high-profile appointments.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“We’re not going after them, we’re just defending ourselves. We did not go after them, they are coming after us as a government and we have to defend ourselves. This has been a long-drawn-out process, and we all recognize that something has to be done. Unfortunately, the report that was given to us and it has been tabled in the house, it’s still in the house committee. It would seem that they can’t come to an agreement and we can’t force them to do whatever it is that needs to be done, but we are waiting for that, but at the same time we have to defend ourselves. In many instances we don’t give it attention and by the time we put in the proper attention it’s already too late. So we want to ensure that we defend ourselves and to show to the Belizean people that we are trying as best as we possibly can to follow the law. I must also remind you that the redistricting is not in the hands of the government, it’s in the hands of the Elections and Boundaries Commission.”

Opposition Leader Dissatisfied with Government Responses

Opposition Leader Shyne Barrow wasn’t happy with the answers he got from the Briceño administration during the House meeting. After the session, he didn’t hold back and expressed his frustration to the media.

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“While Prime Minister Briceño thinks that he is smarter than everyone, he is a bit too smart for his own good. That is the elitist mentality that this prime minister and this government has where there has been a complete reversal of position, whereas when Briceno was the opposition leader, he promised to keep the gas prices to ten dollars. I asked the question filled with goodwill because there could be a legitimate answer that the cost to bring it in, according to the retailer is XYZ or the prices are still high and they haven’t transitioned to Belize. But that is not his answer. His answer is that he is keeping it deliberately high in order to pay for all this wonderful development that is happening in Belize. So I don’t know what was the difference when Prime Minister Barrow was there and the gas prices were high and the taxes and that was paying equally for the things that we need here in Belize. However, the difference is, unlike the fairytale that John Briceno paints, hospitals, public hospitals have complained about not having essential supplies.”

Is Godwin Haylock Still Running for U.D.P. in Queen Square?

The United Democratic Party is still in turmoil, and its future seems to be hanging by a thread in the courts. With Queen Square Standard Bearer Godwin Haylock backing Tracy Taegar-Panton and the Alliance for Democracy, there’s a big question mark over whether he’ll be replaced in this long-time U.D.P. stronghold.

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“This is not a matter of removing anyone. People have removed themselves by participating in another party’s activity.”

Marion Ali
“Has he removed himself?”

Shyne Barrow

“The UDP maintains that whatever happened on October twentieth was not a UDP activity, function, national convention. So when people participate in another party’s event, when people declare someone else their party leader, they have made their decision.”