The Credit Risk Abatement Facility aims to strengthen access to finance for small and medium enterprises by providing them with a greater range of financing options. One critical challenge for S.M.E.s is the lack of access to financing for investments in renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency measures. CRAF, as it is otherwise known, is the brainchild of the CARICOM Development Fund. This morning, an agreement was signed between the C.D.F. and the Belize Bank Limited.
Filippo Alario
Filippo Alario, Exec. Chairman, Belize Bank
“We are extremely excited about this facility. It’s been going, our negotiations have been going on for over a year [and] we felt that we needed to partner with someone like CRAF that has the experience, that has the know-how and that has the credit enhancements required to assist us to finance small and medium enterprises in the areas of energy and energy efficiency. As you know, traditional banks do traditional lending and so we need the expertise of other entities to get to finance what we consider more risky projects, not more risky for them because they understand the industry. So sometimes we think that getting together, government, traditional banks, multilaterals, development agencies, when we get together I think that the impact is much more impactful for the benefit of our clients.”
Rodinald Soomer
Rodinald Soomer, C.E.O., CARICOM Development Fund
“In this instance, we are dealing with sustainable energy sector. We have done a lot of development work in Belize, in agriculture and in SMEs, as well.
Reporter
“The Belize Bank is signing on, let’s talk a little bit about what now is made possible through this signing.”
Rodinald Soomer
“The way the Credit Risk Abatement Facility operates is that it tries to address a problem with SMEs that are trying to invest in renewable energy efficiency to improve the performance of their business and reduce their carbon footprint and the crux of that is to make affordable financing available to them for investment.”
The first Master Guarantee Agreement was signed by the CDF and the St. Lucia Development Bank in April 2021, to provide partial credit guarantee for investments in projects advancing the use of photovoltaic systems, efficient air conditioning and lighting systems.
Since 2019, the Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise has been assisting needy teenagers with secondary scholarships. Today, the organization did just that for the upcoming school year with the handing out of scholarships to twenty-one adolescents who are either entering high school or returning to complete their secondary education. News Five’s Marion Ali was at the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel for the brief ceremony and filed this report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Twenty-one teenagers who will later on be a part of Belize’s workforce today secured the chance to begin their studies towards that goal when they received scholarships from the Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise. President of the club, Dinesh Bhojwani said the selection process was based on two criteria.
Dinesh Bhojwani
Dinesh Bhojwani, President, Rotary Club of Belize Sunrise
“One is financial need, and the other one, and most importantly, is the academic excellence. So, we look at merit, we look at, um, as I had mentioned earlier, the, for the primary students, it’s eighty percent and for high school students, it’s a three-point zero G.P.A. And in order to stay in the program, you generally, we ask that you maintain that G.P.A., or that eighty percent throughout the entire program for you to be able to be eligible because the idea of the program is not just a one-time thing, it’s the idea is to see them through the entire high school, their entire high school career.”
The three students we spoke with all applied because they have goals.
Jahniyah Ferguson
Jahniyah Ferguson, Scholarship Recipient
“I wanted to help my parents save money. And so, I feel like this thing will help me upgrade my education in different ways.”
Alina Blair
Alina Blair, Scholarship Recipient
“I ended up applying for the scholarship to get the opportunity because it really helps when you have opportunities like this in high school.”
Gabriela Ranguy
Gabriela Ranguy, Scholarship Recipient
“I love my education and I think it would help better for me.”
Bhojwani says the Rotary offers an additional program to support students who might fall behind the required average. Counseling and tutoring are also offered for those who need that kind of help.
Dinesh Bhojwani
“It’s not just the financial support, but there’s counseling if needed. We speak to them. There’s tutoring if necessary. So the idea behind [it] is before they get off – before they get to the next year, we kind of monitor them a little bit to see – well, we don’t, the school does. And then we are able to then say, you know, they’re kind of moving off the path of – and we bring them back in -so counseling, tutoring, all of that stuff is part of the process.”
The Caribbean Media Awards Ceremony is being held tonight in Placencia. Media workers from across the region will find out later if their submissions will receive an award. We begin with Monday night’s opening ceremony for the C.B.U.’s Annual General Meeting. The environment took center stage at the ceremony, with a keynote address from Prime Minister John Briceño. News Five’s Paul Lopez is in Placencia. He filed the following report.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
The Caribbean Broadcasting Union officially opened its Fifty-fifth Annual General Meeting on Monday Night at the Naia Resort in Placencia. The opening ceremony saw several presentations that captured the diverse ethnicities and cultures in Belize. But the environment took center stage, as the theme for this year’s A.G.M. is “Media and the Environment”.
Dr. Claire Grant
Dr. Claire Grant, President, C.B.U.
“There is so many parts of the country that are protected. You can’t just go around burning down trees and cutting down trees and that just struck me, but maybe people in Belize does not know but that is not everywhere in the Caribbean. It is not like that. The fact that you have by law protected your environment with policy is not something that tis common across the region and I am praying you do not take it for granted.”
Prime Minister John Briceño was the keynote speaker at the opening event. He highlighted several government policy initiatives undertaken by his administration to safeguard the country’s natural heritage.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“We here in Belize are deeply committed to environmental sustainability and preservation. I am pleased that you all decided to focus this year’s meeting on such a crucial issue, the media and the environment. Today I will share with you some of the work that is being done by my government, the work of preservation and conservation. As a government we are deeply committed to safeguarding our natural heritage and promoting sustainable practices that will ensure the long term health and viability of our environment. As a journalist I hope that you all did your research and you would know that Belize is home to a rich diversity of eco systems, including pristine rain forest, vibrant coral reef and abundant wildlife.”
The Caribbean is on the frontline of the negative effects of climate change. Unpredictable weather patterns brought about by fossil fuel emissions have caused significant damage to vital ecosystems. The media plays a key role in helping to inform the public, tell the stories of those affected, and hold authorities accountable.
Dr. Claire Grant
“If you have all of these mangoes and suddenly somebody starts sending mangoes into your country that are cheaper than your mangoes and they send lots of them, after a while people may not remember the taste of your local mangoes or they see it and it is hardly there and they begin to think about the mangoes they get form outside. That is the same thing that happens with content. To the extent there is so much important content that is proliferating the entire region. It challenges how local people are able to see themselves because they are now like, I want to be like that, I want to speak like that.”
Monday night’s opening ceremony also saw the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center receive the CBU’s President Award. Additionally, the late Oliver Clarke from Jamaica was inducted into the C.B.U.’s Hall of Fame.
Dr. Colin Young
Dr. Colin Young, Executive Director, 5Cs
“You are an indispensable partner Dr. Grant. You and your team reaching almost five million people across the region there is no other entity that has the expertise, that has the reputation, the reach, the know-how, stories told by us for us, by the C.B.U. and linking arms with you over the last two years is paying rich dividends by encouraging our journalist, media professionals to showcase the plight of our people.”
Stewart Krohn
Stewart Krohn, C.B.U. Hall of Fame Awardee, 2011
“With your financial prowess and strong business instincts you turned around the fortunes of the Grand Dame and Caribbean print media the Gleaner Company, establishing it as a financially strong organizations now celebrating its one hundred and nineteenth anniversary boasting the accolade of being the longest continuing publication in the Americas. But most of all, you were known at home and abroad for your commitment to press freedom. In the late nineteenth seventies spurred by the government of the day to bring pressure on the gleaner to influence editorial policy or to close the company you launched a campaign to protect the free press which you regarded as an important pillar to democracy.”
As we said, the Caribbean Media Awards Ceremony is set to take place tonight in Placencia. The event will be aired live on Channel Five. Media workers will be recognized in fifty-five categories. More than four hundred submissions from across the Caribbean were made for this years’ awards competition. Great Belize Productions has been nominated in various categories. We spoke with Sonia Gill, the Secretary General of C.B.U., ahead of tonight’s event.
Sonia Gill, Secretary General, C.B.U.
“What we are going to be celebrating is really just a sampling of the content that regional people are able to enjoy because our regional professionals trained locally, most of them, are able to present about the lives, livelihoods and issues that really affect us. In addition, you are going to see a lot of content in different formats, not just news stories, digital content, podcasts, all kinds of creative celebrations of social media content that are speaking to us. We have a wide range of content. It is not just what is in the news cast or in front of the newspapers. But it is drama. It is comedy. It is focused on entertainment and very much it is about the actual people. So, there are several categories that look at those who are doing the directing, producing, in audio engineering for television or radio or even a social media creator. We wanted to organize the material and people that make up our media sector, which is critical in the Caribbean region.”
The Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) began its 55th Annual General Assembly on Monday, August 12, in Placencia. The event, which runs from August 11 to 14, is centred around the theme “Media and the Environment.”
CBU President Dr. Claire Grant addressed the attendees, highlighting the importance of media in climate change discussions. “The Caribbean Media sector has been grappling with major technological developments in recent years, and we have seen major steps at the regional and international level for the past 12 months,” Dr. Grant said. She emphasised the media’s role in community improvement, stating, “The Media exists for the region, it exists for the people. Without the people, there is no media. But, the media also understands its role in ensuring that people can grow, they can develop, they can be better than what they are. Our role is to make this community better and stronger.”
Dr. Carla Barnett, Secretary General of CARICOM, was the event’s honoured guest speaker. She stressed the media’s role in scrutinising international efforts to combat carbon emissions and addressing the impacts on Small Island Developing States (SIDS). “As we seek to amplify our call for climate justice, the CARICOM secretariat is seeking to broaden its partnership with the regional media. You are ideally placed to present a platform to scientists, activists, and policymakers to speak directly to the public to package the impacts of climate change for public consumption and to counter misinformation,” Dr. Barnett said.
Prime Minister Briceno, this year’s keynote speaker, highlighted the media’s impact on environmental issues. “From highlighting the impacts of plastic pollution in our oceans to showcasing innovative renewable energy projects, the media plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion and driving positive change,” he said.
The CBU will enter its second day of events tonight, where awards will be presented to journalists and other members of the media industry. News 5 will be livestreaming the awards ceremony tonight on its Facebook and YouTube channels.
Police have formally arrested and charged Degron Joseph and Kentroy Mckoy in connection with the murder of Mark Francisco. Both are 25-year-old and from Belize City.
Police allege that Joseph, a customer service agent, and Mckoy, a self-employed individual, fatally shot Francisco. The incident occurred on Sunday, August 4, 2024
54-year-old Mark Francisco was shot and killed on Monday, August 5 in Belize City, as he was getting ready for a fishing trip that morning.
On Monday, August 12, 2024, a meeting was held at the Citrus Products of Belize Limited (CPBL) Conference Room to address the future of Belize’s citrus industry. The meeting had the participation of the Minister of Agriculture, the CEO of the Ministry of Agriculture, technical personnel, representatives from the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), and CPBL staff.
The discussions centred on collaborative efforts between the government, farmers, and CPBL to revive and enhance the citrus sector.
Following the meeting, attendees toured CPBL’s facilities. They visited the nursery facility, which can produce 130,000 plants and has already facilitated the planting of 177 acres of oranges. The tour also included the new coconut water processing plant, capable of processing 10,000 to 14,000 coconuts per hour.
Additionally, the group inspected the new pasteurising plant, which extends the shelf life of products, including Tetrapak Caribbean Pride juices. CPBL produces about half of these juices for export and the other half for the local market.
Police have arrested and charged two individuals for firearm and ammunition possession without a license. On August 11, 2024, police searched a school bag claimed by 31-year-old Nisani Garcia and 19-year-old Vevaney Nolberto at the Belmopan bus terminal. Police found a 0.9mm pistol and several 0.9mm rounds of ammunition. According to police reports, neither Garcia nor Nolberto had a firearm license.
In a separate incident, police are investigating a stabbing that occurred in Belmopan on Sunday, August 11, 2024. At about 11:10 p.m., officers found 18-year-old Devon Bevans with stab wounds in the Las Flores area. Police investigation reveals that Bevans and his foster brother, 21-year-old George Gabourel, were about to play a video game when Gabourel allegedly charged at Bevans from the back. This resulted in Bevans sustaining several stab sounds. Gabourel has been detained.
Additionally, on August 12, 2024, police arrested 22-year-old Richard Josue Padilla in connection to a rape case in the Toledo District. The victim, a 28-year-old woman, reported that Padilla, whom she knew, sexually assaulted her on August 10, 2024. A medical examination confirmed the assault. Padilla was formally charged with rape on Monday, August 12.
Climate experts from around the world gathered at the Grand Caribe Resort in San Pedro, Belize, for a global forum on strengthening the alignment between National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
The forum, running from August 12 to 14, is co-organised by the NAP Global Network and the Government of Belize.
The event brings together experts and government representatives to discuss how to improve coherence between NAPs and NDCs, which are countries’s climate pledges under the Paris Agreement.
“Our path ahead must ensure that we reduce the impacts of climate change by building adaptive capacity and resilience, and we must facilitate the integration of climate change adaptation into relevant new and existing policies, programs, and activities across all sectors,” stated Hon. Andre Perez, Minister of Blue Economy and Disaster Risk Management.
Participants from Belize, Benin, Burundi, Fiji, Haiti, Grenada, Madagascar, Nepal, South Sudan, and Suriname are in attendance, along with representatives from the UNDP and the NDC Partnership. Experts from Brazil, Switzerland, and Canada are also contributing to the discussions.
Belize is currently seeking to update its latest NDC, which was submitted to the UNFCCC in 2021 “Through the National Climate Change Office, the NCCO, we’re developing a comprehensive multi-sectoral national adaptation plan that includes critical sectors such as forestry, agriculture, health, tourism, land use, human settlement, and infrastructure, ” said Hon. Ramon Cervantes, Minister of State, Ministry of Sustainable Development and Climate Change. “These efforts are not just about meeting international commitments; they are about creating a sustainable and resilient future for Belize,” he added.
The Ministry of Sustainable Development and Climate Change announced the appointment of Edalmi Pinelo as the new Chief Climate Change Officer at the National Climate Change Office. Pinelo takes over from Dr. Lennox Gladden. She holds a master’s degree in Disaster Risk Management and Climate Governance from the University of Isabel I in Spain and a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Management from the University of Belize.
Dr. Gladden was recently appointed as the director of the ICAT regional climate action transparency hub in Central America.
Before this role, Pinelo worked as the Greenhouse Gas Inventory Officer at the same ministry. She led efforts to update the national greenhouse gas inventory, managed forest initiatives, and organised training for forestry stakeholders.
In an official statement made by the Ministry, it said, “Ms. Pinelo’s influence extends beyond national boundaries through her active participation in international climate negotiations. She served as the Coordinator for Transparency for the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) during multiple Conference of Parties (COP) events. Her expertise in data collection, technical analysis, and climate policy has garnered recognition through various certifications and her involvement in high-level climate conferences.”
Collin Mattis who was the Deputy Chief Climate Change Officer also left. We understand that he will be working with the U.N.
