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Credit union act, land sale debated in House
A plethora of political points were put on the table during today’s meeting of the House of Representatives. News Five’s Janelle Chanona has the roundup from Belmopan.
Janelle Chanona, Reporting
Among the highlights on the orders of the day were Opposition members’ questions to Ministers, which ranged from the oil industry to the latest in the buyout of Universal Health Services.
Dean Barrow, Leader of Opposition “Will the Prime Minister say, as he had long ago promised, government has found a private sector person or entity to buy Universal Health Services Hospital and assume responsibility for its debt to the Belize Bank.”
Prime Minister Said Musa “Madam Speaker, government is well advanced in its negotiations with a private sector group to take over the Universal Health Services Hospital and assume responsibility for its debt to the Belize Bank. We are confident that this matter will be finalized before the end of this year.”
Dean Barrow “Will the Minister of Natural Resources say whether ZMT and BCH have signed the new p.s.a’s with the new rates that government said it would impose.”
Florencio Marin, Minister of Natural Resources “Madam Speaker, the answer is no. The ministry’s legal department completed the paper work this very week. By next week we should be able to sign”
But things quickly got hot when the Prime Minister presented a motion seeking approval to sell three thousand acres of land on Ambergris Caye to the same South Korean investors who were interested in the Bacalar Chico Reserve.
Prime Minister Said Musa “And whereas Caribbean Developers Belize Limited, a company organized and existing under the laws of Belize, herein after referred to as the company has expressed an interest in purchasing some three thousand acres of the same land for tourism related projects and has represented to the government that together with its development partners the company possesses the necessary resources and financial capability to achieve the said objectives and whereas after a careful consideration of all the offers received over the years for the development of north Ambergris, the offer made by the company is considered to be the most attractive and favourable to Belize.”
Dean Barrow “This is absolutely and utterly unsatisfactory. It’s an insult to the intelligence of members of the House, certainly members on this side; I don’t know if those over there are sheep, and it is also an insult to the people of Belize.”
“How dare the Prime Minister come to House like that especially, I am saying again in this climate of suspicion where he and his Minister of Natural Resources have been presiding over the wholesale give away of national land to cronies including reserve national lands. How in that climate, two or three months before and election, when in any event serious questions have to be asked about the legitimacy of their wanting to sell three thousand acres of land in the first place. I don’t know if these people don’t realize it, you are a lame duck administration, you are on your way out.”
Prime Minister Said Musa “If there is mistrust on their part, and there seems to be, they can always see the agreement for sale when it’s signed with the description clearly spelt out. In other words Madam Speaker the law requires us to get at the approval of this honourable House, that’s the way it is worded, before we agree to sell, before we can finalize the sale. That is the law and that is what we are complying with today.”
“The point, Madam Speaker, is this that we are talking here about less than one seventh of the land that was acquired by the government. Now we are hearing that it’s premium location when in the past when Social Security was buying this, I think it was three thousand acres or there about, they on the very same issue, very same land because it’s all one big parcel of land were saying its’ all swamp. They went on the television calling it swamp land and the fact of the matter we all know that it is mangrove land, yes. There is no beach frontage involved in this sale.”
The debate would eventually come to the day’s first divisional vote...
...and in approval at a sale price of twelve million dollars.
The second bill that caused contention was amendments to the Credit Unions Act.
Prime Minister Said Musa “Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce a bill for an act to amend the Credit Unions Act, Chapter 314 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2003 to provide for better administration of credit unions.”
While the Government contended that the changes were to better regulate the credit unions, the Opposition alleged that the law was being changed to suit the ruling party’s interests in the country’s second largest credit union. The bill would go through all three readings today and also included a divisional vote.
Elizabeth Zabaneh, Speaker of the House “There are fifteen Is, there are seven no’s and there are seven people absent who were not able to voice there vote so in this case I believe the Is have it.”
But the Opposition wasn’t backing down from their take on the issue.
Dean Barrow “This is not a bill, the principle object of which is to regulate the credit union movement in this country in the national interest. This is a bill that has been brought to this House with one specific purpose, to frustrate the membership of the Saint Francis Xavier Credit Union and to put Mr. Vicente Canul firmly in his place.”
“This credit union is a credit union that’s farmers - they’ve wrecked the D.F.C. - so it is has always been a kind of mainstay in the north but it is of special importance theses days when there is no other line of credit accessible to small people who can’t deal with the bank. But they are in one fail swoop insuring that unless Canul and the members of the supervisory committee and the general membership are brought to heel, unless Canul and the members of the supervisory committee and the general membership bow down and worship before them they will have the Registrar say that the current situation is such as to potentially jeopardize the stability of the credit union and have him appoint an administrator and that administrator need not be from the league. Under the law that they are passing Mr. Campbell, the Governor of the Central Bank, can appoint whom he please; it may be in the league, it may be somebody else. And if we know this government when deh done tek over the people deh credit union deh probably wah appoint some crony do be administrator. Deh wah get after the people deh forty add million dollars in assets and the six million dollars in the bank. You are sick! You come here, you di violate the constitution, you are opposing yourself to will of the people when your government is on its last legs, when it’s a last gasp government. Respect the people of...Madam Speaker there is going to be trouble in Corozal, there is going to be trouble in Corozal. These people have indicated they are not going to stand idly by and allow this thing to happen.”
Vildo Marin, Area Rep., Corozal Bay “We must put some kind of stability in the Saint Francis Credit Union. As it is today there is no stability. Many people that I know, many of my constituents have approached me to say that they will take out their savings that they have. And I have been encouraging them and I want to use this forum to encourage members who have money saved in the credit union not to take out their monies from their savings; to keep it there because we need to keep the credit union growing strong.”
While the Government would eventually decide to leave out the compulsory membership in the credit union league, the P.M. maintained there was no truth to any conspiracy theory.
Prime Minister Said Musa “The Leader of Opposition, being a roby rouser that he is, is going so far as to suggest that there is a conspiracy afoot here; that the government wants to get its hand on the peoples money in Saint Francis Credit Union, that is what he is saying. Madam Speaker this is the level of dirty politics that we have come to in this country, such blatant hate-filled, ill-conceived, deceptive type of politics. That is the politics you may practice Leader of the Opposition, I am not interested in that kind of politics. We gonna beat you anyway...[crowd shouting “call the election”]...we gonna call it, have no fear we gonna call it. Obviously Madam Speaker the whole tenure and thrust of this bill the government or no member on this side of the House has anything to gain from it politically or otherwise.”
The other bill to be passed in the House today was for greater protection of domestic violence victims.
Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.
Citco chainsaw operator charged with assault
Following the fiasco on Freetown Road earlier this week over a political sign, a chainsaw operator working for the Belize City Council has been charged with a crime. According to court reports, this morning thirty-three year old James Suazo pleaded not guilty to five counts of Aggravated Assault. Suazo was offered and met bail of two thousand dollars and ordered to return to court on January eighteenth. The charges stem from an incident on Monday afternoon at the corner of Freetown Road and St. Thomas Street. It was at that spot that the People’s United Party had erected a political sign, but under the direction of Mayor Zenaida Moya, the United Democratic Party City Council contended that the billboard was illegal and therefore subject to removal. As tensions escalated, the police were called in but the officers met strong opposition when they attempted to prevent council employees from cutting down the sign. Prosecutors maintain that during the melee Suazo, who was carrying a running chainsaw, advanced towards five officers in a threatening manner and made them fear for their lives. This is the second set of charges to be filed in connection to the incident. Earlier this week, City Councillor Mark King was accused of using indecent words against Senior Superintendent Chester Williams. Up to news time, no charges or counter charges have been filed against Mayor Zenaida Moya and Positive Vibes talk show host Vaughn Gill for their confrontation that afternoon.
Chamber objects to principle of locals shopping in CFZ
Thousands of Belizeans are expected to head to north on Saturday to make their first Government sanctioned entry into the Corozal Free Zone. And while we are not sure what kind of deals they’ll be able to enjoy given the restrictions placed on shoppers by Customs and BAHA, this afternoon the Belize Chamber of Commerce’s Chief Executive Officer Kevin Herrera maintained that Belmopan’s edict is a short-term answer to a long-term problem.
Kevin Herrera, CEO, Belize Chamber of Commerce “Two days of shopping in the Free Zone just will not bring consumers better prices, it will not lower in any significant way their cost of living and that’s what we’ve been telling government over the years is that the cost of doing business is very expensive in Belize. Taxes have gone up significantly over the years and we are saying let’s sit down and try to find a way how we could try lower these taxes and lower the cost of doing business so that we can provide consumers better prices throughout the year.”
“I don’t think anybody benefits from this. It probably could also be a scheme by which governments wants to collect a lot of taxes in one of two days, I don’t know. Like I said I think it’s very unfair and I think that it is disingenuous. I think we could have sat down and come up with a solution. Government obviously decided not to do that and so really the issues have not been resolved. Government’s decision to allow people to go up there is really an admission that taxes are too high within the Customs territory and I am saying perhaps we should have sat down and tried to address that.”
Shoppers will be barred from bringing back liquor, seafood or frozen, fresh and smoked meat. Consumers will also have to pay customs duties, G.S.T., and the two percent environmental tax on all purchases. Belmopan is planning to open the free zone to Belizean shoppers again on December fifteenth.
Colombian salesmen respond to fraud allegations
The fast talking salesmen hawking those volcanic fry pans are singing a different tune tonight as quite a few Belizean buyers are convinced they were duped. News Five’s Kendra Griffith reports.
Gerardo Garcia Flores, P.R., Vafiponce “A you are here I invite you to see that right here we have the thin model and the thicker model, but both are the same fry pan. It works similar.”
Kendra Griffith, Reporting
This morning Vafiponce International, the company behind the Global Discovery Trade Show held a press conference in Belize City to respond to allegations of fraud over their frying pans.
The group conducted an onsite demonstration similar to the original sales pitch, but with a noticeable extra step.
Gerardo Garcia Flores “The first time you use the frying pan you have to put three drops of oil. This is to cure the sulphates. That is the point he forgot in the moment of making an explanation of demonstration.”
“This is the thinner one, this is lighter one and as you can see right here, directly with all the media here is the same thing.”
Kendra Griffith
“Why weren’t you telling people that there was a standard and there was an elite? Why weren’t you telling people?”
Gerardo Garcia Flores “The difference is because some people like heavy as I said the first time. Some people like heavy, some people like light.”
Kendra Griffith
“People did not know that there was a heavy and a light and that is the problem.”
One of those consumers who didn’t know there were two versions of the product showed up at the demonstration this morning.
Dissatisfied Buyer “That’s why we are paying for quality. Quality make the answer. This is a fake one, this is real. You should apologise.”
Gerardo Garcia Flores “Yes, of course we apologise.”
Dissatisfied Buyer “I accept your apology. But are you going to give me this one.”
Gerardo Garcia Flores “Yes of course, we have no problem.”
According to Public Relations Officer Gerardo Garcia, the whole thing was a misunderstanding due to the language barrier.
Gerardo Garcia Flores “The confusion the first time was the guy, the selling man, cannot explain you absolutely in English as most of us know don’t speak properly or perfect English.”
“He don’t manage the English. The language is the barrier for him, that’s all, because he only learn the small words to explain to the people. That’s all that happened, it’s a confusion.”
“We have fifteen years around Latin America, Central America and all the Caribbean island and we sell in French, in English and in Spanish, all that countries. It the first time that problem happen with us.”
While he could not come up with an exact figure, Garcia says they have sold approximately a hundred of the frying pans and have had about ten returned.
Jacqueline Woods, Returned Items “It’s not a matter of the money; it’s a matter of what you say. They tell you something that it not so and I think people do get upset for that.”
This morning, Jacqueline Woods returned not a frying pan, but a plunger that she says also does not work.
Jacqueline Woods “It really looked good the way they performed and the way they show it and explained to you it really worked and when I went and tried it the way you needed to do it, it just, the air just comes out. You pull it, they ask you to put three drops of oil and do this and do that, but in fact nothing, just air comes out.”
The Vafiponce representatives maintain that they have no problem exchanging or refunding the products and say they have corrected the error that led to the controversy.
Gerardo Garcia Flores “We improve our demonstration at the moment and that’s the learning we get. It’s very expensive for us, but we learn. And we apologise for all the people here in Belize.”
Kendra Griffith reporting for News Five.
The Global Trade Show is now operating out of the Orange Walk Multipurpose Complex. Before leaving the country, they plan to also set up shop in Belmopan and San Pedro.
Belize City woman celebrates 100th birthday
There was cake, flowers, laughter and lots of candles at the Sister Cecilia’s Home for the Elderly today as staff and residents joined to celebrate a century of life. The festivities were in honour of Ann Terry. This afternoon Terry told us her secret for long life.
[People Singing Happy Birthday]
Ann Terry, 100 years old “I always say my rosary. I alone in my home day and night, sleep alone, but I have my rosary. And I always believe in God. I say my prayers, never mind I can’t see to read the prayers them good but I know I know I say.”
U.S. Army donates beds, stoves to Youth Hostel
Earlier this year the Youth Hostel on the Western Highway was treated to a facelift courtesy of the United States Military Liaison Office. Today the Americans returned to the institution to donate some essential items.
Teresita Wade, Supervisor, Youth Hostel “Through the liaison of both organizations this is the way how they finally came and gave us these donations of bunk beds, they gave us mattresses, stoves, refrigerators, pillows, blankets, quilts, sheets.”
Marion Ali
“So the hostel came up with a list or they just provided those items?”
Teresita Wade “They ask what we needed the most and they gave us it.”
Marion Ali
“How significant is it to the institution?”
Teresita Wade “Very. As you can see beds are set up Because these are thing that we need for the children to be more comfortable in a family setting and everything. So these are things that are very helpful to our institution.”
Leonard Hill, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy “This came about through the hard work of a number of members of the staff of our military liaison office in Belize City who saw a need here for U.S. assistance and there’s a programme that the U.S. Southern Command has called the Humanitarian Assistance Programme. This project to help rehabilitate the dormitories and then provide household items fell within the guidelines of this programme and so with a lot of hard work by the M.L.O. staff they were able to make this assistance a reality.”
Today’s donation is valued at approximately thirty-six thousand dollars. There are thirty boys and girls living at the Youth Hostel, located at mile twenty-two on the Western Highway.
New CD release focuses on domestic violence
His acting skills in the television drama series “Noh Matta Wat” has propelled Allison Hemsley, better known as “Dan Man”, to national stardom. But behind the scenes the artist is also pursuing a career in music. This week Dan Man released his latest effort called “The Scroll”. He says the piece is as entertaining as it is educational.
Allison “Dan Man” Hemsley, Artist “Songs that direct the energy to anti violence against women. We have songs for women, loving women; on the album it has history, black history, a little bit of political issues, so it’s like that. It appeals to a wide variety of audience, some young folks, some older folks who would like to hear constructive lyrics, constructive messages, noh.”
Marion Ali
“Why controversial stuff? Is it because elections are in the near future?”
Allison “Dan Man” Hemsley “No, no. I’ve been working on this album for nearly a year and a half now. I had no intention and still have no intention to make it political.”
[Singing]
“Know how to treat a lady. A nation can rise no higher than its woman. There’s no such thing as a no-good woman. Anywhere you find a no-good woman there’s a no-good man that made her that way. True, true. Why some man have to kick them woman, punch them woman and stab then woman when a woman is a comfort to a man, true, true.”
The Scroll has thirteen tracks and is available for twenty dollars at most music stores in Belize City or for fifteen dollars if you purchase directly from Dan Man.
City students experience Garifuna culture first hand
While events to commemorate Garifuna Settlement Day will continue throughout the weekend, today students in the old capital got a chance to sample the culture first hand.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Today school children in Belize City experienced the Garifuna culture at its fullest through food, drumming, dancing, and displays of religious beliefs and practices.
The event, hosted at the House of Culture, was spearheaded by the National Garifuna Council Belize City branch.
Roselin Morris, Treasurer, National Garifuna Council, Belize City “We have the food on sale. We also have presentations going on on the stage. We have the children performing to show that they are abreast of what the Garifuna culture is all about. We also have an exhibition going on whereby they can learn about the history of the Garifuna and also see videos and different paintings of different Garifuna artists.”
Marion Ali
“I know that it’s been a week of activities throughout the country. Is this the culmination of those activities being it’s the end of the week?”
Roselin Morris “It is the end of the week for the children. I must say that on Sunday we’ll continue with the all-night drumming at the B.T.L. Park and after that on the 19th we’ll have our re-enactment at the courthouse wharf at five thirty leading to the Mass and then all day activities at B.T.L. park.”
While entertainment is a big part of the activities this year, much emphasis is also being placed on the spiritual and religious beliefs of the Garifuna people as demonstrated with this altar, adorned with special cloths and paraphernalia used during rituals.
The highlight of today’s presentations was the John Kunu, performed by six year-old Tyriese Martinez.
Marion Ali
“Tyriese tell me how you learn to dance the John Kunu?
Tyriese Martinez, John Kunu Dancer “My mom always take me to John Kunu and I always see them dancing.”
Marion Ali
“So you just picked up on it? Was it hard for you to learn it?”
Tyriese Martinez “No.”
Marion Ali
“You have other brothers and sisters who dance it too?”
Tyriese Martinez “My bredda no dance. He noh dance, dah only me dance.”
Marion Ali
“Dah only you dance it?”
Tyriese Martinez “but I teach my bredda how fi dance.”
Marion Ali
“You teach your bredda how fi dance it and you only six?”
Tyriese Martinez “Yes.”
Marion Ali
“And how at school, you dance it at school?”
Tyriese Martinez “Yes.”
The re-enactment of the arrival is set to start at five thirty on Monday morning at the Courthouse Wharf. From there participants will march to Holy Redeemer Cathedral for a church service and then parade to B.T.L. park for a day of food and fun.
Marion Ali reporting for News Five
On behalf of everyone here at Channel Five, we’d like to wish you all a happy Garifuna Settlement Day.
A plethora of political points were put on the table during today’s meeting of the House of Representatives. News Five’s Janelle Chanona has the roundup from Belmopan.
Following the fiasco on Freetown Road earlier this week over a political sign, a chainsaw operator working for the Belize City Council has been charged with a crime. According to court reports, this morning thirty-three year old James Suazo pleaded not guilty to five counts of Aggravated Assault. Suazo was offered and met bail of two thousand dollars and ordered to return to court on January eighteenth. The charges stem from an incident on Monday afternoon at the corner of Freetown Road and St. Thomas Street. It was at that spot that the People’s United Party had erected a political sign, but under the direction of Mayor Zenaida Moya, the United Democratic Party City Council contended that the billboard was illegal and therefore subject to removal. As tensions escalated, the police were called in but the officers met strong opposition when they attempted to prevent council employees from cutting down the sign. Prosecutors maintain that during the melee Suazo, who was carrying a running chainsaw, advanced towards five officers in a threatening manner and made them fear for their lives. This is the second set of charges to be filed in connection to the incident. Earlier this week, City Councillor Mark King was accused of using indecent words against Senior Superintendent Chester Williams. Up to news time, no charges or counter charges have been filed against Mayor Zenaida Moya and Positive Vibes talk show host Vaughn Gill for their confrontation that afternoon. 
Thousands of Belizeans are expected to head to north on Saturday to make their first Government sanctioned entry into the Corozal Free Zone. And while we are not sure what kind of deals they’ll be able to enjoy given the restrictions placed on shoppers by Customs and BAHA, this afternoon the Belize Chamber of Commerce’s Chief Executive Officer Kevin Herrera maintained that Belmopan’s edict is a short-term answer to a long-term problem.
The fast talking salesmen hawking those volcanic fry pans are singing a different tune tonight as quite a few Belizean buyers are convinced they were duped. News Five’s Kendra Griffith reports.
There was cake, flowers, laughter and lots of candles at the Sister Cecilia’s Home for the Elderly today as staff and residents joined to celebrate a century of life. The festivities were in honour of Ann Terry. This afternoon Terry told us her secret for long life.
Earlier this year the Youth Hostel on the Western Highway was treated to a facelift courtesy of the United States Military Liaison Office. Today the Americans returned to the institution to donate some essential items.
His acting skills in the television drama series “Noh Matta Wat” has propelled Allison Hemsley, better known as “Dan Man”, to national stardom. But behind the scenes the artist is also pursuing a career in music. This week Dan Man released his latest effort called “The Scroll”. He says the piece is as entertaining as it is educational.
While events to commemorate Garifuna Settlement Day will continue throughout the weekend, today students in the old capital got a chance to sample the culture first hand.
