Economy - Channel 5 Belize

Benque Inaugurates New Refugee Asylum Center

A new refugee information center has been opened in Benque Viejo to accommodate asylum seekers who enter Belize from the western border. Refugee information centers often advocate on behalf of asylum seekers, helping them navigate legal challenges and ensuring that their rights are protected. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano with that story.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

There are over four thousand, one hundred asylum seekers and refugees living in Belize. Many of them come from other Central American countries, including El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Nicaragua. Since participating in the Global Refugee Forum, Belize has pledged to lead the regional protection response for forcibly displaced people. In Benque Viejo, a new refugee information center has been inaugurated.

Tanya Santos-Neal, C.E.O., Ministry of Immigration

“Today we gather to celebrate a significant milestone, one that marks a new point in our collective commitment to humanity and compassion. This milestone also serves as a visual reminder that our ministry continues to adhere to its international obligations to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration. This office will not only serve as a contact point for these in need of protection, but will also stand as tangible evidence of our strengthened resolve to assist those susceptible to unsafe and irregular entry and stay due to displacement and justifiable fear.”

Refugee information centers play a crucial role for asylum seekers to access vital information about the asylum process, legal rights, and available services. They also offer immediate assistance such as food and shelter, healthcare and clothing.

Nikolai Zelaya, Acting Director, Refugees Dept.

“Among other things, the Refugee Act in Belize mandates us to ensure the provision of adequate facilities and services for the care of refugees within Belize. This Refugee Information Center is the embodiment of that concept where we will strive to provide information to the public, among other services. The stated aims of this office is to serve as a liaison between the general public and our main refugee department office in Belmopan, and also to serve as a direct link between the refugee department and the other government departments located in this area with whom we have developed great working relationships.”

Aside from assisting asylum seekers who arrive with very few resources, refugee information centers also provide psychosocial support, including counseling and mental health services to help refugees cope with the trauma and stress of displacement.

Myrat Myradov, Head, UNHCR Belize

“The western border station where we are now which is an integral corridor to Central America continues to mark the highest number of arrivals for persons seeking safety in Belize. We believe that the Refugee Information Center will assist many asylum seekers seeking refuge in Belize. The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights enshrines that everyone has the right to seek and enjoy asylum and Belize is a good example where asylum seekers can enter the country without being penalized, get information and seek asylum, and approach the refugee department for the refugee status determination. Over the past years, we have seen an excellent cooperation between the various government bodies, including the immigration border department, refugee department, police, municipality, religious organizations and host community in supporting and providing information to asylum seekers on the processes available in Belize.”

Isani Cayetano for News Five.

Flag Raising Ceremony Gets September Celebrations Going

A flag raising ceremony in Belize City on Sunday morning formally commenced September Celebrations activities in the Old Capital. The event took place at the roundabout near Pallotti High School where representatives of the Belize City Council, as well as the National Celebrations Commission were on hand for the brief ceremony.

Belize Leading the Charge In Justice System Reformation

Belize is making strides to improve its judiciary system by hosting the country’s first-ever criminal justice reform conference. This conference focuses on advancing the Needham’s Point Declaration, which is a pivotal framework for criminal justice reform in the Caribbean, underscoring the need for swift and fair justice for the guilty and protection of the rights of victims. The five-day conference began today in Belize City. News Five’s Britney Gordon was there for more information.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

For years, the backlog of cases in Belize’s criminal justice system has weighed heavily on the shoulders of those seeking justice for themselves or a loved one. As of last year, over fourteen years’ worth of cases were yet to be finalized in court, but now that number has been reduced to just five years and is decreasing by the day. This change is due, in part, to the Needham’s Point Declaration, which is a framework adopted in 2023 meant to encourage more efficient and fairer justice systems. Justice Derek Sylvester, Chair of the Judicial Education Institute, explained how the declaration is accomplishing this goal.

Derek Sylvester, Chair, Judicial Education Institute

“What it seeks to do is to reform the complete criminal justice system. Reduce backlogs and delays. It seeks to examine police, prosecutors, judges, lawyers, judgment writing, every facet wherein delays are likely. Because we have had delays, persons on remand, persons awaiting trial, and the reduction of the backlog. If we were to accept the 39 articles in the Needham’s Point Declaration, I could assure you that Belize would be on an upward trajectory. And we have adopted them. I’m happy to say that thus far, we have reduced the case backlog from fourteen years in the criminal court to five years. And we’re on a trajectory to adopt the Needham’s Point Declaration, Article 19, which states that criminal matters should be completed in the high court within one year and in the lower court or the magistrate court within six months. So it is that trajectory that Belize is on and Belize is leading the way in the Caribbean.”

Belize is on track to have a manageable number of backlog cases by the middle of next year. The recent passing of the pleas discussion legislation which allows the defense and prosecution to discuss alternative sentences and plea deals. Justice Winston Anderson, a judge on the Caribbean Court of Justice, says Belize is spearheading the movement towards a more efficient system, with the implementation of a Criminal Justice Board.

Justice Winston Anderson, Judge, CCJ

“It is headed by the Chief Justice, but it has representatives from the Attorney General’s Chambers. It has the Director of Public Prosecutions. It has people from the police, people from the prisons, people from just various sectors in social in the social community and forensic department as well. And these four persons come together with an aim of trying to streamline the process for investigating crimes, for prosecuting crimes, and also for sentencing. I think that the fact that they’ve all come together in this way has meant that there has been a vast increase in the rate in which these criminal trials have been prosecuted. We had this morning information that in seven months, one judge in Belize has completed thirty criminal cases. Another judge completed twenty-nine and another twenty-seven.”

The conference is partially funded by the United Nations Development Program. UNDP resident representative in Belize, Khishan Koday explains how the organization has been building capacity for countries in the region to reach their collective goals.

Khishan Koday, Representative, UNDP

“This conference in Belize is the first of its kind here, where we’re building capacity of about one hundred and twenty judges, magistrates, prosecutors, Colleagues from the forensics office, the police, et cetera, on various aspects of criminal justice sector reform to enhance capacities of individuals, but also those institutions that they’re working in. This is done through the support of judges and other experts from around the Caribbean as well as from the UK, and that’s a great platform, really, of capacity development to get that goal of efficiency and more effectiveness of the judicial system.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

FECTAB Laments Cruise Tourism Decline

The Federation of Cruise Tourism Associations of Belize held a press conference today to address the public over concerns it has about the current state of the tourism industry. Earlier this week, the Government of Belize announced that it is compulsorily acquiring twenty-three acres of Stake Bank Island for a public purpose. On Tuesday, Minister of Tourism Anthony Mahler indicated that cruise tourism is on the decline because Belize is not equipped with a berthing facility. Yohny Rosado lamented the decline while noting that the association expected the Briceño Administration to uplift the industry.

Yohny Rosado, Member, FECTAB

“This is one time we can say, and even the minister admits that the cruise tourism industry are down. Every time we have press conference numbers are going up and up, I think one time it was over a million visitors through cruise ship which David and myself question. Nevertheless, we give the government the benefit of the doubt. Like everybody you have to give your partner or your enemy benefit of the doubt before you entangle in issues. We met with BTB, Mr. Evan was in the house, Mr. Enrique was in the house, and they treated us fairly enough and together we shake hands. But up to now we have not seen any improvements in the industry. The people inside FSTV are getting older, tired, and they are making less money. If it is not so, the people inside FSTV can hold their press conference and state that we are lying. We thought the new government, Anthony Mahler would help us uplift the industry. We are so wrong. The government still has a few years to be in. And the way the opposition is going, to be specific, Mr. Shyne as the leader, is very discouraging because in a good country, in a stable country you need a strong opposition to scare the government in power to do the right thing. That is why we are having this press conference, because we weren’t to let our ministers know, the government know, as long as they are not doing the right thing, FECTAB will make noise. I know I can already feel their mind that we are crazy.”

FECTAB Says Port of Magical Belize Is the Best Cruise Port Option

Rosado added that Belize is in desperate need of a mainland cruise port. He says that Harvest Caye was proposed as a solution to the industry, but it still does not put cruise passengers on the mainland without booking a tour. He spoke on the speed with which Harvest Caye was built in comparison to the failed Stake Bank Cruise Port project. In his commentary today, Rosado came off as a proponent of the Stake Bank project, though he made it clear in the end that his loyalty lies with Port of Magical Belize. Rosado’s position is that the Port of Magical Belize is currently the best option for a mainland cruise port.

Yohny Rosado, Member, FECTAB

“I hope Belize understand that the Federation of Cruise Tourism are outspoken because our industry is falling apart little by little, why, because the manipulation of the politicians are going the wrong way. Do you remember the Federation of Cruise Tourism have been fight for a mainland port? Do you remember that FECTAB and about hundred members at old Belize when we filled up that building when they brought us the engineers and technocrats telling us that Harvest Caye would be a success for the country of Belize and they were bringing new ships to Harvest Caye and we were fighting tooth and nail and they bring Harvest Caye to us. And what happened afterwards, where is Harvest Caye? You know Harvest Caye has one of the low rating bad reviews, because tourist don’t know, they believe they are going to Belize. They don’t know they are going to be stuck on an island. If you want to get out from there, you have to purchase a tour. Stake Bank was supposed to be successful. We and the industry, the mess that Stake Bank is giving us is a shame. But Stake Bank invested millions to have a mainland port for the cruise tourism industry for the tourist to have a good time and it failed. Why did it fail, because Mr. Feinstein was not well connected with the party in power? Because Harvest Caye was well connected? Cause it was rapidito style. Now Commerce Bight, rapidito style. Everything rapidito style out there. Now, everything out there but in Belize City where we have the majority population, where we need jobs, the people are going back out there and running out of our country to America because we are not making the life out there we are to be doing.”

FECTAB, “Why wasn’t Hospital Land Compulsorily Acquired?”

FECTAB’s President, David Almendarez, also spoke at today’s press conference. He chided the Briceño administration over the Belmopan hospital land acquisition. He questioned why the Government of Belize did not compulsorily acquire those two parcels as they did with Stake Bank Island.

David Almendarez, President, FECTAB

“We just find out about the health fiasco where Mr. Petillo organized a demonstration and unu hammer he to the ground, start talk bout his mom and grandmother, unu dutty piece of politicians. One thing bout PUP, they more vindictive ten times than the UDP. So, I expect them to talk bout my granny, my ma, me. My back is tough. I nuh wah back off. I nuh fraid. You have a piece of land that sell for just under seventy thousand dollars. Seven hundred thousand and then it sell for just under seven million. Unu get the scene Belize, I don’t think unu get the cents of what Nigel told you all. We tried to invite the brother. But the pressure was tight. The same PUP the share the love, the share the pressure. Imagine Mr. Briceno with the million-dollar company, if he was the head of his company and he took a piece of land that sold for under seven hundred thousand dollars and he buy it for under seven million dollars? Do you think they would keep him? Is that a genius plan? He talented. You see how they acquired Feinstein Land, they acquired it. How they couldn’t acquire that land in public interest. The untalented people untalented fih do the public good work, but they talented for the retirement scheme for the boys. A police man, teacher and journalist will never see a million dollars in our life. If they lucky they live to a hundred maybe so. While the boys play with a mullion like dah pennies.”

Regional Countries Attend IDB Forum on Climate Change

Officials from regional ministries of Economy and Finance are attending the Third High-level Dialogue of the Regional Climate Change Forum in San Pedro today and Saturday. Eighteen countries are represented at the event, during which they will approve the new work plan for 2024-2025 and oversee the transfer of the pro-tempore presidency from Chile’s Ministry of Finance to Colombia’s Ministry of Finance and Public Credit. It also aims to formally adopt a unified regional approach to sustainable finance among these participating ministries. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.

Marion Ali, Reporting

For the next day, representatives from eighteen countries from Latin America and the Caribbean are attending the IDB’s Third High-Level Dialogue of the Regional Climate Change forum in San Pedro. The event aims to bring to the fore issues that are relevant to the topic of climate change. Head of Belize’s delegation, Prime Minister John Briceño says there is urgent need for collective action against climate change.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“The collective development of a shared vision of sustainable finance among ministries of finance in the region. Establishment of the platform. As a globally recognized knowledge hub and the creation of an accountability mechanism by ministries of finance in Latin America and the Caribbean to monitor policy implementation. I believe it is safe to say That the work done on the regional level has certainly had a positive effect on the national efforts across our prospective countries Take Belize, for example. We, too, have made significant contributions to international climate action through innovative measures. We successfully implemented a homegrown investment grade blue bond transaction that mobilized private capital to restructure and reduce our national debt while financing marine conservation.”

Belize’s portfolio of ongoing climate projects is approximately sixty-seven million U.S. dollars. It includes sectors such as water, agriculture, fisheries, coastal zones and infrastructure. The IDB has supported a lot of the funding for these projects as IDB Executive Vice President, Jordan Schwartz indicated.

Jordan Shwartz, Executive Vice President, I.D.B

“We have joined you over recent years in expanding the tools available from multilaterals for addressing climate change, contingent credit facilities, sustainability linked bonds, debt for resilience. Or debt for nature swaps. Um, contractual clauses to suspend payments after crisis. Our CLIMA products at exchange. Ex ante commitments on mitigation to reduce payments, um, from the governments. And each of these instruments and more to come are critical to fighting climate. But I think it’s worth reiterating that innovation comes from our choices in which instruments to use when confronted with crisis. And when addressing cross border challenges such as climate change.”

Meanwhile, IDB’s Executive Director Frank Fazz-Metz said that each of these countries that is participating needs to become climate-change ready and resilient to brace for any eventuality caused by this new phenomenon.

Frank Fazz-Metz, Alternative Executive Director, I.D.B

“This decade up to 2030 is crucial for climate action. And all countries need to enhance their efforts to achieve the turnaround in cutting global emissions by scale. Today, many countries already are experiencing the consequences of climate change. I would just want to name our host, Belize, as one example, which was almost hit by hurricane barrel earlier this year. And we all know that the next hurricane can come anytime and hitting, uh, Belize. All countries therefore must transform their economies to sustainability and to include climate change in our policy. Public finance and investments regulations have a crucial role to play in this transformation.”

Marion Ali for News Five.

Fortis Belize – The Renewable Energy Expert

Fortis Belize operates three hydroelectric facilities, the Mollejon, Chalillo, and Vaca dams, on the Macal River and produces renewable energy that is sold to Belize Electricity Limited. The water used for power generation passes through unchanged and remains safe for agriculture and recreational use. The location of the dams also helps to minimize the risk of flooding to downstream communities. Tonight, we look at the company’s operations in western Belize. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano.

Tedford Pate, Operations Manager, Fortis Belize

“As you can see in the background, we have our dam across the river. That is what creates the main storage in a hydroelectric facility. Without the water, it is impossible for us to produce power.”

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Tedford Pate has been in the energy sector for the past twenty-nine years. As operations manager at Fortis Belize Ltd., he oversees all activities concerning the production of hydroelectricity across three dams that straddle the Macal River in western Belize. These facilities are off limits to the average wanderer. Today, we’re taking a tour of Vaca, the newest power station built by Fortis that generates one hundred percent renewable energy.

Tedford Pate

“This one was commissioned in 2010 and here, we generate a maximum of nineteen megawatts. The plant houses two nine-megawatt generator turbines and a one-megawatt turbine. So that gives us a total of nineteen megawatts.”

The purpose of Vaca is to provide electricity during higher demand periods and in the dry season. As many as two point eight billion gallons of water are held back by this dam that is operated using a run-of-river system. Altogether, the Mollejon, Chalillo and Vaca dams can meet forty percent of the country’s electricity needs. Belize Electricity Ltd. purchases all the power that Fortis produces from the Macal River.

Omereyon Fregene, Manager, Energy Supply, B.E.L.

“The hydro dams don’t always have water twelve months of the year, so we have to manage that also and make sure we use it in the most efficient and optimized manner.”

Inside the plant, a narrow winding stairwell descends several floors below to a humming turbine. This mechanical device extracts energy from the constant flow of water from the river above and converts it into useful work that can be used for generating electrical power when combined with a generator.

Tedford Pate

“So as the water enters into the power plant, it passes through a series of controls for safety purposes. So we have what we call a main turbine shutoff valve and then we have wicket gates that allows the water to pass into the turbine. That then spins the turbine that is connected to the generator by a shaft, and as that spins, the generator itself produces the power. The water continues down the river to its normal flow. The power now that comes out from the generator is transmitted to the substation, as you can see in the background.”

From there, it undergoes another process, as explained by BEL’s Manager of Energy Supply.

Omereyon Fregene

“They convert that energy to electricity and once their plants have been able to convert that energy to electricity, they send that electricity through a transformer. So what the transformer basically does is, they produce electricity at a certain voltage level, the transformer takes it up to a higher voltage level so that then we can send that electricity all the way to our customers because these generation facilities, as most people would know, are mostly in remote areas.”

Vaca, much like its sister dams, sits in the far-flung reaches of Cayo District. In March 2007, Fortis Belize and BEL signed a fifty-year power purchase agreement related to electricity generation by the Vaca hydroelectric facility. Isani Cayetano for News Five.

Eight Teams to Compete for National Women’s Softball Champions

Softball fans who are used to attending the national tournament in Belize City, will have to travel to Sand Hill this weekend to cheer on their favourite team. The Rogers Stadium field is undergoing major resurfacing and retrofitting, following incessant rains that left it unsafe for use. The first games begin at six-thirty this evening and the tournament resumes at nine-thirty on Saturday and Sunday with fifteen teams taking part. It promises to be an exciting competition, with all teams said to have a degree of strength. Entrance to the Sand Hill Softball Field is five dollars and there’ll be fifteen games played altogether. News Five’s Marion Ali spoke with the Tournament Organizer, Shane Williams about the shift from Belize City to Rural Belize for the event. Here’s that report.

Marion Ali, Reporting

For the first time, at least in recent memory, the National Softball tournaments are being played outside of Belize City. It is a necessary move to allow for resurfacing and repairs to be done at the historic Roger’s Stadium. This weekend, the National Women’s Softball Tournament will be held in Sand Hill Village. Tournament Organizer, Shane Williams told News Five that the field at Roger’s Stadium had become unsafe for the players.

Shane Williams, Tournament Director, National Women’s Softball Tournament

“We had to make that decision because the Rogers Stadium is not fit for a national tournament at the moment. We had a really bad year in terms of rain and the field condition was already in subpar state due to damages from previous storms and hurricanes. The playing field is very unlevel. We had some serious injuries in the Belize City Tournament this year that we cannot allow to happen at the national level. So, we had about two weeks to prepare the field for nationals because the Belize City Tournament was playing and it played late due to weather conditions. So we only had about two weeks to prepare the field…”

Williams says the Sand Hill softball field is one of the best to hold the event and it was tested only recently when the men’s tournament was held there.

Shane Williams

“Sand Hill Village has a very good field. It hosted the male nationals two weeks ago, and it was a very good host. The village itself was a very good host for the players, so we believe that this will be one of the more memorable tournaments.”

Marion Ali

“And when do you foresee the Rogers stadium field will be ready again for more games?”

Shane Williams

“Well, that’s the good thing. Even though we have moved the tournament to Sand Hill, we have not stopped working on Rogers Stadium. We have over fifteen loads of material that have already been brought into the stadium. They are being spread out at the moment. We have 10 additional lights that will be put up over the next couple of weeks that have already been purchased. And we have some donors, B.T.B. And other donors that will be investing in the fence and we are looking at specific private company for the installation of a scoreboard that we have been looking for several years. So I would say by the time tournament is ready, which is January, the calendar opens, Rogers Stadium definitely will be ready.”

Altogether there are eight teams competing for bragging rights of National Women Softball champs and the trophy this year. They are the Esperanza Wolverines and Roaring Creek Grace Kennedy, Orange Walk’s Palmar and Elites, Belize City’s Beacon Softball Club and Wolfpack Softball Club and from Belize Rural we have Doublehead Cabbage and Belize Bank Bulldogs. Williams says it will be no walk in the park for any of them.

Shane Williams

“The defending champs are the Beacon Softball Club from Belize City and you know, they have us very solid team. They have even international players as well on that team. We have the rural who believe that this will be their year to unseat them, especially since they are hosting for the first time. So the home field advantage will definitely be with Belize, but the Bulldogs and the Double Head Cabbage Unity team. The Orange Walk teams are fairly new and from what I’ve seen in their practice, they expect to come and make some real upset in the tournament. Cayo has won the nationals multiple times before, and the same for Roaring Creek Grace Kennedy team, it’s coming back with some very young talent and Esperanza Wolverines are always contenders. So there’s no set favorites, I would say. But this will be an exciting tournament.”

Marion Ali for News Five.

B.S.C.F.A’s Attorney Says Amend the Sugar Industry Regulations

Ahead of the inquiry, the B.S.C.F.A had hired Senior Counsel Magali Marin-Young to make presentations on its behalf. Today, Marin-Young expressed, on behalf of the association, the importance for the Commission to investigate the legal framework, as well as the Sugar Industry Regulations to see how it could strengthen them, the weaknesses and what she termed as the unequal bargaining power and lack of transparency and information.

Magali Marin-Young, S.C, Attorney for B.S.C.F.A

“You have one miller in the northern districts for Belize sugar cane farmers to sell their produce to. It is in effect, a monopoly. There is no other miller that the canefarmer can sell his sugarcane in any cost-effective manner. Santander is all the way near Cotton Tree in the Cayo District. For it to transport its sugarcane would make it highly inefficient, so the canefarmer has nobody else to sell but to the one miller in the northern districts. So, speaking on behalf of the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association, and as signaled by the CEO, I think it is time for us to seriously look at the legislative framework. It is not working. It leads to a contentious situation.”