2024-07-10 - Channel 5 Belize

Belize City Council Bolstering Efforts to Reduce Unemployment

The Belize City Council is bolstering its efforts to reduce unemployment within the city. This morning, the City Council and Peak Outsourcing International Belize Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding to establish a partnership aimed at enhancing job placement and career development opportunities for Belize City residents. Through this partnership, participants will have the opportunity to partake in workshops and training that will assist them in entering the workforce. News Five’s Britney Gordon attended the ceremony today, to learn more about this endeavor and how it will assist Belizeans currently living in poverty.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Underemployment, food insecurity and lack of access to health and education are some of the primary indicators used to measure poverty in through The Multidimensional Poverty Index. These are challenges over one fourth of Belize’s population is currently facing. According to the Statistical Institute of Belize, SIB, the country has seen around a ten point one decline in poverty between 2021 and 2023, however, there is still much that can be done to reduce the numbers. Earlier this year, Christian Orellana, a statistician at SIB gave us more insight into those figures.

Christian Orellana, Statistician II, S.I.B.

“For the period September 2023 the incidence of multidimensional poverty is twenty-six point four percent. That means that twenty-six point four percent of the population is multidimensional poor. The intensity of multidimensional poverty is thirty-eight point four percent. That means that on average, a poor household had a deprivation score of thirty-eight point four percent. And our national MPI is zero point one zero one. We can also look at poverty statistics in two ways, for the total population of the country and for the households of the country, a total of one hundred three thousand nine hundred forty-four persons were multidimensional poor among twenty-four thousand ninety-six households.”

To combat this issue, the Belize City Council has partnered with Peak Outsourcing International Limited, a business solutions firm, to provide training and technical programs for residents of Belize City who are in pursuit of a career. Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City, explains why he thought it important to sign on to the project.

Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City

“We have been the sort of entity which really want to drive and contribute to reducing unemployment in our city. We have done it, as you see, through Being Your Own Boss initiative contributing to having people run their own little business but at the same time there are some people who want to enter and seek a career and what better place than Peak Outsourcing they have been very proactive. They have demonstrated to us that they are here for the long haul from the mere fact that you are able to establish a corporate center in the city that says a lot of how you take this business and how you see yourself being a part of the Belize City whole fabric of Belize City employment. And so we, we wanted to ensure that we contribute to youths coming out of high school coming out of universities every year. There are so many of them coming out of universities and this is a career opportunity and we wanted to be a part of it.”

The Belize City Council will assist Peak Outsourcing with finding participants to be trained in various skills and strengthen their resumes through community-based activities. Orson Picart, Senior Talent Acquisition specialist explained how CitCo and Peak will see this collaboration through.

Orson Picart, Senior Talent Acquisition specialist

“Mostly it’s to provide a funnel. Peak outsourcing, and it’s not only about recruitment to it also has to do with the other community based initiatives that we’re actually partnering on to make sure that once again, we could build the competencies of qualified individuals to make sure that they have placement. Where there are different social projects, we definitely want to be a part of those sort of different initiatives that the Belize City Council has in place, we are going to be partnering with them to see how best we can lend resources and collaborate to make the events a little bit more bigger.”

Some may criticize the rapid growth of the BPO industry in Belize, but it has become one of the primary sources of employment for many young professionals. Wagner says that this is a positive step towards reducing unemployment.

Bernard Wagner

“The fact of the matter is that we once used to complain about employment opportunities. We have seen where employment, unemployment has reduced. So the last figure I saw was a close to three percent. This is a part of that whole effort to have our graduates, young people have job opportunities. It will never always be about government providing the job opportunities, but the private sector, being your own boss, private sector, these are all part of the whole system that contribute.”

Wagner stresses the importance of acknowledging call centers as legitimate careers as they continue to fill the gaps of employment in Belizean society. Angel Burke, an employee at Peak Outsourcing, told us that she began as a call agent and has since moved up in her field.

Angel Burke, Talent Acquisition Specialist

“It has impacted my life in a very big way because here at Peak Outsourcing, we have a different culture. We base on positivity. We base on respect, professionalism, knowledge, a lot of different stuff.”

Britney Gordon

“And your daily life, how has that bled over into that being able to know that you have a secure job that you’re content and happy and satisfied with?”

Angel Burke

“Definitely stability because I see myself in this position doing good for myself and for my son. One day they can look up and see that’s my mama. She do interviews for peak outsourcing.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

Wagner Pleads Public for Patience with E-bus Pilot Project

The E-mobility Pilot Project is coming soon to Belize City and City Hall is asking the public to bet patient as they analyze parts of the project that will be best for the country. The new eco-friendly electric buses will be outfitted with several features such as wi-fi and air conditioning, leading to concerns regarding the affordability of the services. Mayor Bernard Wagner says that he anticipates criticism, but assures the public that the council will use the first run to determine how it can be improved with time. Here’s more on that.

Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City

“When change comes, people complain, but you have to embrace change. We want to transform the public transportation system at least in the city It has been over fifty years that we have not seen any sort of Growth, any sort of development in the transport system. We have an opportunity here, man, and we have to embrace it. Where you are able to have the residents of the city drive in a modern bus, which is efficient, reliable eco-friendly less pollution in the air. You are able to track it via the app that we have in place on it. And it makes life easier. We have many capabilities for wheelchair commuters. It will have Wi Fi, it will be AC. It’s just a pilot project. I continuously to say that it’s a pilot project. It will inform scaling up opportunities for the city when we reach that point. We have not reached that point yet. I don’t see why people are looking way ahead, two, three years ahead. Let the e mobility pilot project work first. Let us get the required data, which will inform scaling up.”

Reporter

“But you can see how they were concerned, though, because there was a meeting, and there are minutes of meeting, pointing to some entity. That’s What I took from what was in those meetings because it wasn’t clear, but they’re talking about the formation of an entity of which the City Council would own fifty-one percent and I think that is what maybe they stretched a little to say that they would be required to give up a majority shares.”

Bernard Wagner

“That’s far from it. I Just hear that narrative over and over we are doing the pilot project. Let’s focus on the pilot project first. When we reach that road, we will cross that bridge.”

Belizean Diaspora Encouraged to Pay Land Taxes

Recently, the Mayor of Belize City announced that the Belize City Council has plans to create an app that would allow Belizeans living in the diaspora to better manage their assets and stay up to date with paying their taxes. According to Mayor Wagner, the app will provide an ease of connectivity and maintain their relationship with the city. We spoke with Wagner today, who believes that once people are able to access their bills, they will be more inclined to pay.

Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City

“Yeah, we have substantial residents who live abroad who has properties or who own properties or who may have become, through estate may have become the owners of properties and what we see is a lot of them being abandoned and so we are trying to put in place the, like I discussed earlier put together a Belize City Council app which will connect those living abroad directly into the system and be able to really interact and see their statements. If you are a customer who engages in trade, in property, in liquor your driver’s license, you’ll be able to have a dashboard, which clearly show you all your relationship with the city and be able to track it. I always believe that if you are seeing what you owe in front of you every day, you are more compelled to pay. And so if you are able to access that app and you see the interest building up on your property, that’s, you are more compelled to say, I need to pay this through this app. Of course through merchant accounts and get it into the city.”

Mayor Wagner says He’s Tired of Paying People’s Bills

In June of this year, the Belize City Council was issued a letter demanding payment to the tune of four hundred and fifty-nine thousand, seven hundred and twenty-four dollars. This letter came from Antonio Novelo, former owner of Novelo’s Bus Line. Novelo claims that the council never paid the amount owed to him after a court ruling in 2007. Previously in an interview, Mayor Wagner said that he was not able to find any proof of such a ruling, but agreed to pay the bill if it was proven to be legitimate. Today, when asked about the situation, Wagner questioned why the bill is being brought forward now and why he should be the one to pay.

Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City

“That has been on the books from 2007. We are in 2024. 2027 I dih leave I don’t know who will pay it. You understand?”

Reporter

“You don’t know mayor but you did put out a release saying if that was real, you would address it though. I don’t know what happened, but you said you would.”

Bernard Wagner

“But 2007, why bring it 2024?”

Reporter

“They say that the attorneys are behind them.”

Bernard Wagner

“How many mayors you had before me?”

Reporter

“Two.”

Bernard Wagner

“Did they pay?”

Bernard Wagner

“They didn’t.”

Bernard Wagner

“So why would I pay?”

Reporter

“One claims that they don’t know about it even though they were the attorney for the other side.”

Bernard Wagner

“Listen to me, I’m tired of paying people bills.”

Reporter

“You’re tired of paying, but it is a bill.”

Britney Gordon

“So you’re saying because of, how old it is, it’s no longer legitimate?”

Bernard Wagner

“I have my legal people looking at that, but I don’t even have that in my head. Period.”

Opposition Leader Supports Fiscal Incentives Act

Earlier this week, we heard from Prime Minister John Briceño on the proposed amendment to the Fiscal Incentives Act. It seeks to replace the definitive agreements that were previously entered into by the Government of Belize and developers of mega projects, such as the Port of Magical Belize. The act was introduced in the house at the last sitting, which the opposition boycotted. So, on Tuesday we asked the opposition leader for his thoughts on this proposed legislation.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“The U.D.P. government has always been a probusiness government. As a center right party, business is extremely important to us. Investment is important, whether domestic or international. So we have no quarrel in putting in place a framework for those types of massive investments. But we do have a quarrel with the Portico Definitive Agreement that we believe was corrupt from its inception as far as how it was done in the dark of the night without the proper approval from cabinet. And the prime minister himself said it was a binding agreement when we know that Ben Juratowitch disagreed with that, and they really went all out for this agreement that was just giving everything to the foreign investor at the detriment of the Belizean people and against the laws of Belize. We have no difficulty in putting forward a framework where everybody can come and do business at that level, half a billion dollars. We don’t want to turn away investors, but we want things to be done the right way and maximum benefit to the Belizean people.”

Opposition Leaders Weighs in on High Cost of Vegetables

On Tuesday, the Leader of the Opposition weighed in on the recent spike in the cost of local vegetables. Minister of Agriculture, Jose Abelardo Mai blames this year’s intense heat waves and heavy rainfalls. He says these climate factors have created a vegetable shortage that has led to an increase in prices on the market. But the Leader of the Opposition contends that this is just another characteristic of the Briceño administration.

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“The price of rice, beans, onion, habanero, every Sunday we donate food to the vulnerable in Mesopotamia and the lady that cooks for me took care of me as a child. I still go to the home I was born in every Sunday I was I’m in the district to eat my Sunday dinner, then I go and deliver Sunday dinner. I don’t take no pictures I have graduated from that juvenile level of showing people what I am doing, but it is being done. I am a gentleman that loves my pepper but no pepper nuh deh and I can’t enjoy my one, two, three, rice and beans, chicken and salad without pepper. She says the price of habanero has risen exponentially, more than fifty percent, the price of chicken, beef, pork and other meats by thirty percent and even for salad, potato is three dollars and fifty cents, Mayo that use to be three dollars and ninety cents is ten dollars. This is the Briceño administration, things have never been worse.”

Audit into Belize Police Department’s Gun License Registry Underway

A gun licenses audit is being carried out to investigate past authority and the procedures involved in the processing of firearm license. There were reports that the audit was not making much headway because of friction between the department and the C.E.O. in the Ministry of Home Affairs. Today, ComPol Williams told reporters that he has no issue with the audit and that he has instructed his officers to cooperate in the probe.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“Yes I have no issue with that. That is the reason why I said to you when I asked you the question the last time about me this and that, I have nothing to hide. The audit is something that is welcomed and it is going to be conducted. I have sent out directives with my officers to make sure they cooperate fully with the auditors. So, that is going to be done and we will see how it goes from there. Historically we have had instances where commissioners have received applications and from the office of the commissioner it is sent out for vetting to special branch and when the vetting is done it goes back to the commissioner’s office. That is done historically. That would have been the practice, but to facilitate processes, historically the commissioner’s office as received these applications and once it received there it is sent out for vetting then it comes back to the commissioner’s office and the matter is actioned from there.”

It’s Dengue Season, Let’s Learn About Mosquitoes

Dengue fever is a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes. It is common in tropical and subtropical regions. Most people infected with dengue won’t show symptoms, but if they do, they might experience high fever, headache, body aches, nausea, and a rash. Fortunately, most recover within one to two weeks. Dengue fever is on the rise and, as we reported earlier this week, Orange Walk, Cayo and Toledo districts recorded over three hundred cases since the beginning of the season. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Recognized by white markings on its legs, the Aedes aegypti is a mosquito that can spread a number of viruses and other disease agents. These illnesses include dengue fever, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever. The vector comes from Africa, but is now present in various tropical, subtropical and temperate regions across the world.

Dr. Jorge Hidalgo, Internist

“That is the variety of the mosquito that, and the females, for the eggs, they need the blood and then they deposit the eggs and then in these good climate conditions, especially flooding.”

It’s dengue season and the swarms of mosquitoes that come alive at sunset are voracious. Males thrive on fruit, while their female counterparts are bloodsuckers. They need it to mature their eggs. These small biting flies are attracted to chemical substances produced by mammals, including ammonia and carbon dioxide. Hosts include horses and humans.

Dr. Jorge Hidalgo

“The mosquitoes have developed abilities to become more resistant as with everything else. The mosquitoes create especially the virus because dengue is a virus disease with the mosquitoes ability to survive in urban and suburban regions and the perfect conditions. What are the perfect conditions? Right now, it’s rainy season, it’s hurricane season. We have flooding and we have water contained in different areas that are essentially the perfect space for the mosquito, for their eggs to hatch and we have more.”

Dengue fever is frequently asymptomatic; if symptoms appear they typically begin three to fourteen days after infection. There is no specific treatment for dengue fever. In mild cases, treatment is focused on treating pain symptoms. Severe cases of dengue require hospitalization.

Kim Bautista, Chief of Vector Control Operations

“As a country, we have reported eight hundred and sixty-five dengue cases, three hundred and eighty-three lab-confirmed cases, and four hundred and eighty-two clinical confirmed cases. Seventy-five percent of those cases come from the Orange Walk, Cayo and Toledo districts. The Toledo District, majority of their cases are from Punta Gorda Town and, of course, Bella Vista.”

Back in March, the Pan American Health Organization warned of an increase in dengue cases in the Americas. At the time, over three point five million cases and more than one thousand deaths had been reported in the region.

Kim Bautista

“In 2019, a record was set for the highest incidents of dengue in the region. At that time, the region saw three point one-eight million dengue cases. That record was broken in 2023 where the region saw four point five million cases. We’re at week twenty-seven, but the most recent report from PAHO shows that at week twenty-four of this year, there has been a reported ten point one million cases. So you could see where, in the past five years, the region has seen three records set for the highest incidents of dengue ever.”

Several environmental and social factors contribute to the spread of dengue, including rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and the El Nino phenomenon. Rapid population growth and unplanned urbanization also play a crucial role, including poor housing conditions and inadequate water and sanitation services create mosquito breeding sites through discarded objects that can collect water.

Dr. Jorge Hidalgo

“Most of the time, the classic signs of dengue is the patients, after they are bitten by the mosquito, we have an incubation period that can vary between three to fourteen days and an average of seven days. In that moment then the patient starts to develop initially fever and this fever can last up to five days. This fever with associated symptoms, most commonly the patients are going to complain about having pain behind the eyes, muscle ache or, in some other areas, we call it breaking bone fever because it’s a lot of pain in the muscles and also it’s like arthritis type of pain.”

PAHO Director Jarbas Barbosa calls for action, advising strongly for heightened efforts to eliminate mosquito breeding sites and protect against mosquito bites. There is also a need for increased readiness in health services for early diagnosis and timely clinical management, and continuous work to educate the population about dengue symptoms and when to seek prompt medication. Isani Cayetano for News Five.

Belize Vs Bermuda Friendly Match Inside F.F.B. Stadium on Thursday Night

Belize’s Senior Women’s National Football Team is set to face off against Bermuda on Thursday night inside the F.F.B. Stadium. The friendly match kicks off at seven p.m. The team has been in camp for the past three weeks preparing for the match. They are inviting fans out to the game to watch them perform and possibly win. Today, we spoke with the coach and a couple of players.

Wayne Casimiro, Head Coach, National Senior Women’s Football Team

“We have been doing the best we can given the time frame we have to work with and getting our style of play in proper order. I think the team looks fairly ok. WE are basically there and prepared to play a good match between Bermuda given we have not been together for a while. Bu for the time we spent in camp, two weeks prior and now in this position, I think we are really getting back to where we were from the last time.”

Shamika Lambey, National Team Athlete

“Us being in camp, it helps us build our momentum and chemistry, because most of us are from different clubs so we don’t have that much chemistry with each other. We have been playing with each other in the last national team on the road to Gold Cup. So us being in camp helps us to develop more and gets us to see where we fall short, whether it is attacking or defending. So the more we come together in camp the more we develop.”

Roshanny Narvaez, National Team Athlete

“We have been practicing three weeks so our mentality is very positive. In my case it is very positive. I know we can do great out there and with the fans showing up that can motivate us even better to showcase our talent and just play our game and have fun.”

Belize Red Cross Appeals for Assistance for Caribbean Sister Countries

The Belize Red Cross is appealing to the Belizean public for donations to support ongoing recovery efforts in Grenada, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Barbados, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and the Cayman Islands following Hurricane Beryl. While Belize was spared, these Caribbean nations urgently need assistance.

Hurricane Beryl, the earliest Category 5 storm on record in the Atlantic Ocean, began impacting the region on July 1, 2024, devastating Barbados and subsequently causing severe damage in Grenada, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, St. Lucia, and Jamaica. Homes, infrastructure, and essential services have been severely affected, with significant loss of life reported and thousands displaced.

Financial donations to aid these recovery efforts can be made to The Belize Red Cross Society’s Disaster Account #1082665 at Heritage Bank Limited. The appeal for assistance will remain open from July to November 2024, and international donations can be sent via wire transfer.