Government of Belize Launches People’s Constitutional Commission
A giant leap has been taken in the process of drafting a new Constitution of Belize. Upon taking office in November 2020, the Briceno administration introduced the Ministry of Public Service, Constitutional and Political Reform and Religious Affairs, with the intent of carrying out an extensive revision of the Constitution of Belize. Earlier this year, they announced their intention to form a People’s Constitution Commission and began taking applications from various groups across to the country to make up the body. The PCC has been finalized and it has been tasked with guiding a complete review of the Constitution of Belize. Today, the People's Constitution Commission was officially launched on the steps of the National Assembly Building in Belmopan. It has been given eighteen months to consult with Belizeans across the country on the necessary reforms. They will then present their findings to the prime minister in a final report at which point those recommended changes will be taken to a referendum. All members of the PCC were officially sworn in during today's ceremony.
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Minister of Agriculture on Sugar Cane Payout, “ It Could Be More”
Last night, ASR/BSI announced its third and final payment to sugar cane farmers for the 2021/2022 sugar crop. As was reported, farmers received a final permanent of thirteen dollars and thirty-three cents for every ton of sugar cane delivered. That final payment, according to ASR/BSI, is based on a final cane price of seventy dollars and seventy-eight cents. ASR/BSI noted that this is the highest cane price payment since 2017 when the EU market change removed Belize’s preferential pricing. Today, we asked the Minister of Agriculture, who is also a cane farmer, for his comments on the payout. Here is what he told us.
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UDP Assists with Hurricane Lisa Humanitarian Relief
Over the weekend, images of San Ignacio Mayor Earl Trapp, Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner, San Pedro Mayor Gualberto Nunez and Prime Minister John Briceno were posted on social media, following a large-scale cleanup campaign in Belize City. It was a bipartisan show of solidarity to return the Old Capital to a sense of normalcy in the wake of Hurricane Lisa. While the Briceno administration has been working overtime, the opposition has also been making its rounds, visiting affected communities in Belize City, as well as Belize District. This evening, News Five spoke with Opposition Leader Shyne Barrow who told us about his party’s efforts.
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Several Tourism Destinations are Impacted by Hurricane Lisa
COVID-19 has proven that the tourism industry is quite fragile and not immune to shocks. Those sudden blows can also be brought about by natural disasters. In the wake of Hurricane Lisa, the Ministry of Tourism and the Belize Tourism Board have been taking stock of the damage caused to the industry. Earlier today, News Five sat with Chief Executive Officer Nicole Usher-Solano who discussed the state of the travel and leisure sector post Hurricane Lisa.
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What Was The Damage Like After Hurricane Lisa?
And while the cane farmers were on the ground hauling all that debris away - most of the damage can only seen from above, all those hundreds of roofs disappeared or damaged.
Tabulating and assessing all those is the job of the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing. They hit the ground in Belize City along with NEMO and the City Council right after the storm. They made a rapid housing assessment which was presented to Cabinet yesterday.
The Ministry’s Project Engineer today told us what the findings are.
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ComPol Back from Medical Treatment in Mexico
And while Hurricane Lisa was bearing down on Belize City and surrounding areas, Commissioner Williams was battling health issues in a hospital in Mexico. Today, he told us that while he’s not fully recovered, he returned to Belize on Sunday and is back on the job. In fact, he was about to travel out of the country once again to attend a regional conference.
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PM Briceno Discusses GOB's Recovery Plan For The Hurricane Victims
And there are stories of desperation just like that all over Belize City and the Belize District. That’s why this afternoon, Prime Minister Briceno held an Emergency Cabinet Meeting to launch the response to Lisa’s wrath. He held a press conference immediately after to discuss the widespread damage that Hurricane Lisa left behind.
Here are his prepared remarks in which he announced that until the electricity grid has been restored, residents of the Belize District, minus Caye Caulker and San Pedro, will have to abide by a 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew for the next few days - starting tonight:
As you heard, the PM says that the curfew is being implemented out of caution because certain parts of the Belize District — including parts of Belize City — are still without electricity.
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Sister Cecelia Lost Her Roof
And, tonight, in perhaps one of the most heart-wrenching stories of Hurricane Lisa, Belize City’s Home for the elderly Sister Cecelia got a jolt during Lisa when the roof on its male dormitory was taken clean off.
Tonight that dormitory is still exposed to the elements and very much in need of some short-term cover or complete rebuild.
Our news team headed there this morning to find out how residents reacted when the roof went flying.
VIDEO COURTESY 7 NEWS BELIZE
