2025 - Channel 5 Belize

Belize Citco Finally Completes Audit for 2022, 2023 Financials

The Belize City Council has wrapped up its audits for 2022 and 2023. Mayor Wagner announced that the council’s website will soon be updated with the audited financials. He also shared some insights into what the audits revealed.

Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City

“Very soon. We had that audit completed a week ago. So we have the 2022 and 2023 on that website. I just have to get the caucus to approve it and PR team will do the rest. I just looked at it last night. Clearly it shows you had your struggles in 2021, coming out of COVID and Lisa, but it showed pretty quickly by 2022 you had a net loss of five hundred sixty-five thousand. But in 2023 you had an operating surplus of one point six million. So clearly, we have turned that curve and I am anticipating that the 2024 figures will be even better. I see where our property taxes, trade license, liquor license and traffic fees all increased from 2022 to 2023. I am very hopeful that the trend continues.”

Belize City Streets Still in Disrepair

Back in November, the Belize City Council wrapped up a study on damaged streets across the country, estimating that repairs would cost approximately one point six million dollars. Now, more than two months later, most of those streets are still in disrepair. So, what’s the holdup? Is the council waiting for central government to step in? With general elections around the corner, voters will surely be demanding these upgrades. Today, we asked Mayor Bernard Wagner when those repairs will finally begin.

Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City Council

“Bail out no, we are not seeking bailout. We are waiting for the rains to subside. I am glad that finally we are seeing some letting up in the rain. We do not shy away from the fact that climate change is here. But we as a progressive entity have to find the capital to do the retrofitting and rehabilitation of those streets. Flooding again requires, I always insist that flooding requires participation from residents. We will do our part. We have cleaned those drains on an annual basis. When you see flooding in the city, the water does not stay there long. It goes very quickly. I agree with you, we still need to fine tune the drainage system in the city. That is part of our agenda for this year, to focus on drainage, ensure that there are maintained, that they are connecting. You cannot just have a drain and it connects to nowhere. It must connect to the canals and it feeds into the river and the river into the sea. We have a pumping station that helps us to alleviate flooding in that downtown Belize City area.”

Belize City Council Paying Outstanding Debt to BWC

The Belize City Council is finally paying off the eight hundred-thousand-dollar debt owed to the Belize Waste Control, which caused a garbage crisis in the Old Capital late last year. Thankfully, garbage collection resumed before the end of 2024. Mayor Bernard Wagner credited Prime Minister John Briceno for bringing both parties to the table to reach an agreement. When asked if the central government bailed out the council, Mayor Wagner clarified that the council is handling the debt repayment. He also continues to advocate for a garbage collection tax for Belize City residents.

Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City

“I have not shied away from that. I have been saying for years that the residents must. It is your garbage and the city has the responsibility to ensure that we are not utilizing funds that would be normally used for street rehabilitation and other operational purposes on your garbage. That has to be at some point addressed. Why is Belize City different from other municipalities? All the other municipalities has legislation to collect a garbage fee. I have not shied away from that. I do believe we have residents who want to pay. I have had residents who say mayor we want to pay a fee because we are a responsible contributor to our city.”

Paul Lopez

“Did the central government bail out the council where that outstanding balance was concerned?”

Bernard Wagner

“We are paying those outstanding balance. It is always a cashflow problem. Cash flow is how you manage it. During the slow season there will be a slow down of revenues coming into the council’s coffers. So it is about managing it, but we are, as we speak keeping up to our obligations to the Waste Control Board, as a city.”

Paul Lopez

“So there was not a bail out?”

Bernard Wagner

“We had very good discussions with the prime minister and he helped us with getting the parties to the table and formulating a plan and that plan is being adhered to as we speak.”

Canefarmers Want More Support to Diversify

On Monday, we shared how the recent downpours have thrown a wrench in the works for delivering quality sugarcane to the Tower Hill Factory. The fields are waterlogged, and the roads are a muddy mess, making them nearly impossible to navigate. The relentless rain has also stalled road repairs, leaving cane farmers no choice but to harvest immature cane, which unfortunately yields very little. However, Alfredo Ortega, Chairman of the Committee of Management for the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association, believes that with the right support, diversifying and planting different types of cane could help tackle the issues of flooding and disease.

Alfredo Ortega, Chairman, Committee of Management, B.S.C.F.A.

“Looking into variety, and that is something that we feel that SIRDI being the arm, needs to look upon varieties. I think that this is something that they really need to take into account on which we know that they have been working on it, but it needs much more to be done in regard to getting new varieties, but varieties that will really give us that return and yield that we need. The B79 is a predominant variety because that is a variety that shows that it can give good yields in both low and highlands. If we get a pest infestation on that variety, then we are really going to lose because as you hear right now, the Fusarium problem that we are facing, we are experiencing it now, that the farmers are delivering, we see the quality of cane, we are seeing the TCTS that is coming out is very low, compared to other years. This year is really challenging for us as farmers because the Fusarium not only attack one variety, but it’s attacking all canes on a whole. And we are seeing the problem that we are facing so farmers themselves have been trying to plant other varieties that are to harvest on the very early part of the season.”

B.S.I Official Agrees that Diversification of Cane Types is Important

Cane farmers are facing significant financial losses. When the mill must shut down due to a lack of cane to process, it hits the factory hard too. Mac McLachlan, the General Manager of the A.S.R/B.S.I. sugar mill, agrees that diversifying with different types of sugarcane could help solve some of the issues farmers are currently grappling with, like low yields and diseases. He points out that in other countries, cane farmers are already investing in various replanting strategies to tackle these challenges.

Mac McLachlan, General Manager, A.S.R/B.S.I.

“Normally, a sugar industry would have a whole range of different varieties. Some of them would mature earlier, some of them would mature later, so that you end up having a higher amount of sugar across the whole range of the crop, but here it’s been because of the lack of serious replanting in cane fields. We’re predominantly one variety, and so that won’t actually reach full maturity for some time now. But you see if we all wait until the time is optimal to begin the crop, then as we’ve learned in recent years, later on in June, July, then we get into real problems and then that farmers are left without being able to deliver cane, which is even the worst situation.”

Mahler on 2024 Tourist Arrivals: “That’s a huge accomplishment.”

In 2024, Belize’s tourism industry hit a major milestone, welcoming an impressive five hundred, sixty-two thousand, four hundred and five overnight visitors. This not only matches the pre-pandemic record set in 2019 but surpasses it by a remarkable eleven point eight percent. After the severe impact of COVID-19 in 2020, the industry has been steadily recovering, thanks to the strategic planning and dedication of its stakeholders. Here’s Tourism Minister Anthony Mahler with more.

Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism

“We created this, I think, fantastic campaign, Grab Life, at that time and that’s changing and evolving as we go along. I think with focus from both public and private sectors, strategic marketing efforts and creative in terms of using, like you said, innovations. We are here now, where we’re about sixty thousand over 2019, which is almost about twelve percent over 2019 and about twenty-three percent over 2023 and that’s a huge accomplishment.”

What does Mahler Think About Cruise Terminal in Belize City?

The race to build the first cruise terminal in Belize City harbor has hit a major roadblock. The Stake Bank tourism development project is tangled in legal issues, the Port of Belize Limited has been taken over by the government, and the Port of Magical Belize seems to have vanished into thin air. So, what’s the Minister of Tourism’s take on building a cruise terminal in Belize City harbor, and which of these three projects is closest to becoming a reality?

Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism

“Well that would be Stake Bank, if I were to look at it honestly, because that’s the closest to being completed. We’re working on a master plan for Port of Belize which should be completed in March. But that has two components to it, cargo and cruise. And they can work together, it’s done all over the world.”

Happy George Price Day…Then Back to Work on Thursday

Belizeans across the country will be celebrating the birthday of George Price this Wednesday. Known as the Father of the Nation, Price led Belize to independence in September 1981 and became the country’s first prime minister. He would have turned 105 tomorrow. However, celebrating his birthday midweek brings its own set of challenges for businesses and employees, who often struggle to plan around a midweek holiday. It can complicate scheduling meetings, deadlines, and other work-related activities, disrupting the flow of the workweek and making it harder for employees to maintain momentum and productivity. We asked Home Affairs Minister Kareem Musa about the decision to honor Price’s birthday on the actual day.

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs

“There’s two sides to that argument. Some people advocate for having the actual holiday on the day itself, which was Mr. Price’s birthday. Usually when it falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, it would be moved to a Monday or Friday. This one happens to fall smack dab in the middle of the week and so we decided to leave it there. But certainly, if it were like a Tuesday or a Thursday, maybe moving it closer to the weekend to avoid the disruption is a good idea.”

Still No Contract for Managing the Prison

The contract between the Kolbe Foundation and the Government of Belize for managing the Belize Central Prison is still up in the air. The previous agreement expired in mid-2024, and despite a recent meeting, both sides have raised concerns about the path forward. Once again, here’s Home Affairs Minister Kareem Musa with a brief response about the discussions.

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs

“We had our meeting and both sides expressed concerns and it is our intention to have a follow-up meeting in the next few weeks.”

Britney Gordon

“So it’s still a work in progress.”

Kareem Musa

“Yes, it is.”

Will ComPol Williams be Succeeded by a Woman?

Commissioner of Police Chester Williams has led the Belize Police Department longer than any of his predecessors. Despite setting this record, the top cop might be eyeing a gradual retirement. But what does his political boss think about his potential departure from law enforcement? When we caught up with Home Affairs Minister Kareem Musa on Monday, he shared his thoughts.

Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs

“I think the ComPol, for the last two years, has been focused on his work. I think now, you hear more about the possibility of him moving on to other work in public service and so we can look forward to that. I’m not sure in terms of when his departure date is going to be. That’s something you’ll have to ask him.”

Reporter

“Will the next commissioner be a woman?”

Kareem Musa

“It could be, that’s a possibility. Currently, we only have two deputies [and] both are male and usually, the next in line is coming from a deputy. But we do have women who are high up on that list in terms of Assistant Commissioners of Police.”