Sunday, September 27, 2020
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Vol. 23 No. 39 Sunday, September 27, 2020 Page 2 THE GUARDIAN Sunday, September 27, 2020 it is also the title Track to NBZLIVE fabricates fake invoice song 1-800-273-8255 by the artist ‘LOGIC’. On Monday, September 21, Million USD that government The primary being that NO 5) In adding the information the 2020 while most Belizeans were had announced the entire package MONEY has been paid out in graphic designer allows the celebrating all the things that to be. Nunez went on to say relation to the acquisition of lettering to break one of the makes us proud to be Belizean, that full payment was disbursed the 15,500 tablets. Then the vertical lines. The document the actions of Rhenae Nunez, and deposited into the US bank invoice which is obviously an is an Excel document and the self-confessed owner and account of the company sourcing amateur photoshop job shows the that cannot happen because operator of NBZLive was once the tablet in one day and that it following glaring mistakes: it would have gone on to again reminding us that there are was the Central Bank of Belize 1) The invoice show a July 6, the next line to avoid that ignoble people living amongst that wired $3.5Million USD to 2020 date which predates happening. us. She did so by coming up with Cellular World Enterprises’ bank even GOB’s decision to 6) Prior to September, GOB an invoice, which she claimed account in the United States - acquire. was only acquiring 8,000 was a leaked document showing even though the Senate has not 2) It doesn’t say who prepared tablets as was reported in the cost of the 15,500 Logic yet met on the Bill - as is standard the invoice. the press conference in late 10.1 tablets that Government is protocol. 3) It is unsigned. August 2020. in the process of acquiring as There were several things 4) The telephone number quoted Even after facing all the being $1,016,180.00USD and that exposed the NBZLive is for National Suicide empirical evidence stocked up not the $7 Million BZD or $3.5 narrative as a naked fabrication. Prevention Lifeline and against her, the defiant NBZLive is standing its ground, and has done so and continues to do so even though the principals Airport to reopen on October 1, hotels are ready! of the company, who the post In one week, on Thursday, document from hoteliers and country. In this initial phase of has aggrieved have announced October 1, the Philip Goldson resort owners to become Gold reopening, tourists must have that they are in the process of International Airport (PGIA) is Standard certified. From earlier confirmation from a hotel which consulting their attorneys with set to reopen to international in the year, the Belize Tourism has been Gold Standard certified regard to the libelous posts visitors. Unfortunately, there Board (BTB) has been working and which has been approved and fictitious documents being are a number of concerns among with the Ministry of Health for reopening within the tourism circulated. They said they will the general populace, especially (MOH) and other private sector safe corridor. pursue all remedies afforded concerns of health and safety tourism stakeholders to develop Director of the Belize to them legally to prevent the as it pertains to the COVID-19 a gold standard certification as a Tourism Board (BTB), Karen propagation of further defamatory pandemic. Resorts, hotels, and nine-point list of best practices Bevans told The Guardian that remarks or content. According to other tourism stakeholders have under special COVID-19 as part of the reopening of NBZLive, it will only apologize to be ready to accommodate procedures. Whether or not this the industry will be the Belize and remove all posts when they guests while maintaining the will be a mandate, however, is Health App, which will be are shown the breakdown for safety of both the guests and yet to be officially announced key to monitoring tourists. $7 million BZD for 15,500 staff. But this is a reality that we but according to the BTB, the Additionally, the institution is tablets. With that stance Rhenae all will have to be able to adjust to Gold Standard is in the process working to do more training for Nunez, who is the owner/operator since there is no foreseeable end of being legislated and will be hotels that have not yet attained of NBZLive, should now be to this pandemic. With that then, a new licensing requirement. As the Gold Standard certification. preparing to do battle in court, these tourism stakeholders have a result, for a hotel to be able to She explained that the reason for because that is exactly where this come to a general agreement that accept international tourists, it some hotels not yet receiving one is heading. it is time for business to restart. will be a must for a hotel or resort their certification is because Again, the health and safety to be Gold Standard certified. they were on lockdown and of all must remain priority and As it pertains to tourists, it employees are just now returning The Guardian that is where the Gold Standard does seem that they will need to work. Repeat training for the Protecting Freedom Rights Democracy Certification comes into play. proof of reservation at a Gold certification then, is the BTB’s There is information surfacing Standard certified location goal at this point to have as many EDITOR: of the drafting of a legal before they are able to enter the hotels certified as possible. Alfonso Noble ADVERTISING Louis Thompson COMPOSITOR: Kristen Jimenez REPORTER: Jem Smith CONTRIBUTORS: Byron Donaire Rene Flowers Vanessa Guerrero RECEPTIONIST/ACCOUNTS CLERK Vanessa Gillett Published by The Guardian Newspaper Limited Cor. Ebony St. & Bel China Bridge, P. O. Box 1898 Belize City, Belize Telephone: 207-5346, 207-5347 Fax: 227-5343 E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] Website: www.guardian.bz Printed by The Guardian Press Cor. Ebony St. & Bel China Bridge, P. O. Box 1898 Belize City, Belize Page 3 THE GUARDIAN Sunday, September 27, 2020 Page 4 THE GUARDIAN Sunday, September 27, 2020 Covid-19 relief extended to December Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. as for the food assistance. September 23 there have been expressed that so far, “39,129 Dean Barrow presented his Financial assistance will be some 24,237 persons who have households have received, and last Independence Day address extended up to December of been approved for the relief. continue to receive, packages to the nation and he did so this year and the number of Almost all of those have actually under our food assistance amidst the greatest challenge food pantry recipients will be received their payments with program. This has been at a Belize has ever faced, the doubled. funds being disbursed to some cost of 20 million dollars; and Covid-19 pandemic. During his The Prime Minister cited 23,705 individuals. with another 20 million coming presentation he noted that there that 20,000 persons have In his address, PM Barrow from OFID, we are doubling is more relief underway for received financial assistance. explained that with funds that the amount of beneficiary persons both with the financial Dr. Carla Barnett has confirmed remain from the first phase families.” unemployment relief as well that up to Wednesday, of the unemployment relief C o u p l e d w i t h t h e program along with additional unemployment and food finances secured from the Inter- assistance, PM Barrow noted American Development Bank that there is also assistance being Dialysis patients as well as from the Central offered to the small business, American Bank for Economic tourism and agriculture sector. Integration, (CABEI), 10 million dollars have been taken off waiting list an additional 50 thousand identified for loans, grants T h e G o v e r n m e n t o f the Karl Heusner Memorial unemployed persons will be and subsidies to the Micro, Belize announced on Tuesday, Hospital Authority and La able to be assisted for a period Small and Medium Enterprises. September 22 that patients, Loma Luz Adventist Hospital. that should last through to The agriculture will also see who had been on a waiting Thirty patients were included December. The Prime Minister $16 million allocated to it list in order to receive dialysis in that contract. In 2018, the noted that the program began for assistance to farmers. As treatment will be taken off program was expanded to cover at the start of the pandemic for the tourism sector, a line that list and will be provided 90 additional patients and and saw government borrow of credit of $10 million is services. also to include hemodialysis $75 million from the Central being made available through The announcement was service at the Miguel Rosado Bank of Belize. In the first financing from the Caribbean made via a press release in Dialysis Center and Dialysis phase, $35 million was used to Development Bank (CDB) and which it says that the Minister of del Caribe. to assist 40,000 during a four- managed by the Development Health, Hon. Pablo Marin, with Minister Marin saw the month period. Finance Corporation (DFC). the support of Cabinet, made need to further expand the T h e s e c o n d f o r m o f The loans are at low interest the decision that all applicants program after taking into assistance by the government rates and are partially subsidized presently on the Government of consideration the financial is the food program.