January, 2025 - Channel 5 Belize

A New Vehicle Fleet for CitCo

Back in 2018, when the Belize City Council first took office, they acquired a fleet of new vehicles to help their departments get around more efficiently. Fast forward six years, and those vehicles have seen some significant wear and tear. The fleet, which includes both diesel and electric vehicles, is now being traded in for a brand-new set. Mayor Bernard Wagner announced today that the council is investing one point two million dollars in this new fleet.

Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City

“When we came into office in 2018, we only had like two pickup trucks to facilitate service for the city enforcement and traffic management. And at that point in time in 2018, we made a loan for 12 trucks for a five-year period. The trucks really did well for us. They performed well over that period of five years, but they deteriorated and depreciated over time and so as to not have them depreciate to the point where you don’t get back anything. What we have done with the existing trucks is trade those back in and in return get these twelve new pickup trucks. Seven of them are diesel and five of them are EVs and so with the trade-in value that we took, it really lessened the amount but the total value here, the 12 pickup trucks along with the three Foton utility trucks really run us about one point two million dollars. We’ll deploy in enforcement, we’ll deploy in traffic, we’ll deploy in works, we’ll deploy in sanitation, cemetery, all of these core departments require this sort of mobility. And so, having, and it’s made no sense for us to have vehicles that are run down, you spend a lot in maintenance, so it’s always good that you are able to trade in and get new equipment, which really take down operational costs.”

Mayor Wagner: Public Responsible for Broken Traffic Lights

Residents of Belize City have noticed that some traffic lights, especially those on Vernon Street, are frequently out of order. Mayor Bernard Wagner explained that the lights were in perfect condition, but reckless driving has caused the damage. He shared more about the council’s plans to fix the current lights and install more across the city. Here’s what he had to say.

Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City

“ Vernon Street. If only our residents begin to drive with care, we would have less of these problems. Every time we fix that light, somebody drive and broke down the posts. So, that has to stop. And the residents have to be held accountable at some point in time to, to be held accountable to pay for the damage, the cost of public property because it creates an inconvenience for the residents and see you are not coming to us. If that individual didn’t crash into that traffic light, we wouldn’t have had that problem. But again, accident happened. And so we are, that specific light is run by the MIDH. Right. But we have met with them to really, we have gotten a quotation to really get that fixed up. And so, I believe very shortly that will be resolved.”

Reporter

“And about the new lights?”

Bernard Wagner

“The new lights are all working very good. The one on King Street, we are waiting to have the area painted properly and, and marked so that we don’t have any issues there at King and Regent.”

Reporter

“Are there plans for more?”

Bernard Wagner

“Of course there are plans for more. We are looking at hat area by Vernon Street in the afternoon time. I think we have to work smarter rather than harder and having a enforcement person standing on Vernon and the canal side every day is not smart. And so we do plan to put a light there to really manage that area. We look at Western Avenue and its intersection with the George Price Highway. That’s another area that we are looking at. And so we never stop, We are very strong and a smart city and having manual labor. We have passed that now. We have to be smarter.”

Japan Donates Second Garbage Truck to Belize City

Belize City is about to get a facelift! Thanks to the Government of Japan, a second compactor truck has arrived to help tackle garbage management. This generous gift is part of the Japanese government’s Grassroots and Humanity Security Project, which kicked off in November 2022. This new truck joins the first one donated last February, and together, they’re set to make a big difference in keeping our growing city clean and beautiful. News Five’s Marion Ali was at Memorial Park to capture the moment. Here’s her report.

Marion Ali, Reporting

The brand-new compactor garbage truck, generously provided by the Government of Japan, will join the first truck they donated. Councilor Kaya Cattouse, who oversees sanitation, says this powerful equipment will help make those messy spots look much nicer and more appealing.

Kaya Cattouse, City Councilor, Belize City

“The arrival of this second truck marks an expansion of our capacity to meet the growing demands of Belize City. Last year, when we received the first compactor truck, we immediately saw the difference it made. Not only in the efficiency of waste collection, but also in the morale of our hard-working sanitation teams. We were able to tackle more of the hot spots, effectively reducing illegal garbage disposal, and extended file up of trash along the garbage collection routes.”

Japan’s Ambassador to Belize, Nobuyuki Shirakata, shared the practical reason why the donation was necessary for the rapidly growing city.

Nobuyuki Shirakata, Japan’s Ambassador to Belize

“Japan’s consistent investment in Belize’s solid waste management is bearing fruit and is enabling the Belize City Council existing facilities to become more efficiently operational to provide reliable collection of waste disposal services for the population of over sixty thousand residents in the municipality. Annually, twenty-one thousand six hundred and sixty-five metric tons or over sixty-six metric tons daily of garbage waste is earmarked for collection.”

Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner says these trucks will handle the extra work that isn’t covered by the garbage collection contract between the City Council and Belize Waste Control.

Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City

“Having two trucks now to provide that service along with our dump trucks really make up, have us operate much more efficiently and effectively. We provide that sort of back end for those areas that people just dump garbage in areas that are abundant. And so, these two trucks really help us in alleviating that sort of behavior in our city.”

The compactor trucks will transport the waste they collect to the Belize City garbage transfer station off the George Price Highway. Marion Ali for News Five.

Keep the City Clean, Report Litter Bugs

Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner is calling on residents to take an active role in curbing illegal dumping by reporting litterbugs in action. While the Belize City Council enforces anti-littering regulations, Wagner says catching violators remains a challenge without solid evidence.

“We have enforced it on several occasions in Belize City. It carries a hefty fee if caught in the act, but it’s a joint effort between the DOE and the Belize City Council,” Wagner stated.

However, he stressed that public participation is key. “You have to have the real evidence. If they see people dumping, if they could quickly notify the officials or enforcement team or the DOE, then we could have that evidence to really ticket them and really pursue it the way we want to.”

“It really requires participation from the community as well. If they see people dumping, if they could quickly notify the officials or enforcement team or the D.O.E., and then we could have that evidence to really ticket them and really pursue it the way we want to,” Wagner added.

Feinstein Group to Appeal High Court’s Ruling on Stake Bank Land Acquisition

The Feinstein Group has vowed to challenge the High Court’s decision that the government’s compulsory acquisition of 23.4 acres of Stake Bank Island is constitutional.

On Wednesday, Justice Rajiv Goonetilleke ruled that the acquisition, set to transfer the land to Honduran company OPSA, serves a legitimate public purpose and does not violate the Constitution. Feinstein’s legal team, led by Godfrey Smith, argued otherwise, claiming the move benefits OPSA in a private dispute. However, the court found no merit in their case and awarded costs to the government.

In response, the Feinstein Group stated, “We will not give up the fight for justice, fair play, and for what rightly belongs to us as a Belizean company.”

The group claims the ruling undermines property rights and investment security in Belize.

“After carefully reviewing the judgement, our attorneys remain convinced that the compulsory acquisition is unconstitutional and not for a genuine public purpose. We have therefore instructed our attorneys to immediately file an appeal to the Court of Appeal against the High Court decision,” it added.

With Prime Minister Briceño announcing major port developments, attention now turns to whether Mediterranean Shipping Company remains interested in acquiring Stake Bank.

The Feinstein Group stated that it “will use all resources at its disposal to defend itself and expose the wrongdoing of the government, wherever it may lead,”

Marconi Leal Jr. to Replace Leal Sr PUP’s Standard Bearer in BRN

Marconi Leal Jr. is set to become the new Standard Bearer for the People’s United Party (PUP) in Belize Rural North (BRN), following the announcement that his father, Marconi Leal Senior, will not seek re-election in the upcoming general elections.

In a statement issued today, the PUP confirmed that after careful deliberation, the BRN Executive Committee unanimously recommended Marconi Leal Jr. as the successor. This recommendation was ratified by the National Executive earlier today.

The committee extended its gratitude to Marconi Leal Sr. and “looks forward to a seamless transition and continued dedication to the people of Belize Rural North under the leadership of Marconi Leal Jr.” The date for his official swearing-in was not disclosed as yet.

“At today’s meeting of the National Executive, this recommendation was formally ratified. Moving forward, the Chairman of the Eastern Caucus will collaborate with the BRN Executive Committee to finalize arrangements and set the date for the official swearing-in of Marconi Leal Jr. as the new Standard Bearer,” the Committee said.

Marconi Leal Jr. now steps into the political spotlight, taking over from his father, who served the constituency for one term.

Belize City Receives Second Compactor Truck from Japan

Belize City has received its second compactor truck from Japan to assist with the city’s waste management. The donation is part of a broader initiative by the Japanese government to assist Belize in improving its waste disposal systems.

The first truck for Belize City was donated back in February 2024, and similar compactors were also donated to the Belmopan City Council and other municipal governments.

During a ceremony at Memorial Park, Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner pointed out the importance of community involvement in waste management. He stated, “Receiving this new compactor also reminds us of the role each of us must play: Keeping our city clean cannot rest solely on the shoulders of the Belize City Council or the machinery at our disposal; it requires every resident, every community, and every organisation to be involved.”

The new trucks are especially valuable for tackling waste in problem areas. “In many of the south side areas, we have a lot of what we refer to as ‘hotspots,’ which are abandoned properties that are used as garbage dumps,” Wagner told reporters. He said the additional truck, along with existing dump trucks, will help the city operate more efficiently in addressing waste management challenges.

SSB Issues Terse Statement on Dr. Almendarez’s Departure

The official statement issued by the Social Security Board (SSB) starts by welcoming Jerome Palma as acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and then acknowledges “with gratitude the valuable contributions that Dr. Leroy Almendarez made during his brief tenure as CEO.

According to the statement, Dr. Almendarez’s “to play a leadership role at the Social Security Board, an organisation that embeds social protection to the people of Belize, was a pleasure and something I embraced with vigour. To be embraced by a management team and staff across all nine branches is something I will treasure, as we worked as a team, in service to all.”

The Social Security Board extends its best wishes to Dr. Almendarez in his future endeavors.

Police Officer Who Shot GG’s Dog Fired

An officer stationed at the Governor General’s residence has been dismissed from the Belize Police Department after fatally shooting the Governor General’s pet dog. According to reports, the incident involved a small, temperamental dog, which had previously caused trouble for officers on duty.

Commissioner of Police Chester Williams confirmed the dismissal, stating, “The matter went before a tribunal; the tribunal found him guilty, dismissal was recommended, and I upheld the decision.” Williams added, “If you have a policeman who deliberately follows a dog and shoots and kills a dog, something is wrong with you.”

The case has prompted questions from the public about why similar incidents involving police shootings of pets during operations don’t always result in similar consequences. Williams addressed this, clarifying that while the dog had shown aggressive behaviour in the past, “at the particular moment when the dog was shot, that was not the case.”

Did Holiday Cheer Drive Belize’s Confidence Up in December?

Are Belizeans starting to feel more optimistic about their finances and the economy? According to the latest report from the Statistical Institute of Belize, there is a notable 7.6% rise in the Consumer Confidence Index (CCI) for December 2024.

The CCI measures how people feel about the economy, their own finances, and whether it’s a good time to make big purchases like homes or cars. It helps predict how people might spend, save, or invest in the future, which in turn gives us a clue about the economy’s growth.

The durable goods component saw the largest increase, rising by 35.5% to 39.3, reflecting a 10.8% boost in consumer optimism towards major purchases. Similarly, perceptions of current financial conditions improved by 8.6%, with the index climbing from 41.1 to 44.6. Additionally, future expectations grew by 4.9%.

Urban areas saw a 9.7% rise in confidence, with durable goods purchases surging by 15.7%. Rural areas also reported growth, with an overall 6% increase, particularly in durable goods and current financial outlooks.

Confidence was notably higher among men (up 7.2%) and women (up 8%), with women showing a significant 16.7% increase in durable goods sentiment. However, younger consumers (18-24) experienced a slight dip in optimism.

The report reveals that Belizeans are gradually growing more optimistic about both their present financial situations and the future of the economy. But this data comes from a month filled with cheerful holidays, such as Christmas and the New Year; could it have influenced the boost in consumer confidence? People often feel more hopeful and ready to spend during festive times.