Sunday, July 12, 2020 Vol. 23 No. 28
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Vol. 23 No. 28 Sunday, July 12, 2020 On December 9, 2019, William Danny Mason, Ashton Vanegas, Keiron Fernandez, Terrence Fernandez, and Ernest Castillo, were all found guilty of the 2016 decapitating murder of Pastor Lewellyn Lucas.The Guardian has confirmed that the men will be sentenced on Thursday July 9 before Justice Antoinette Moore. Page 2 THE GUARDIAN Sunday, July 12, 2020 GOB sets $14M to assist small businesses T h e G o v e r n m e n t o f comes from monies borrowed its final stages and will be tabled in the Ministry of Investment, Belize is preparing to execute from the Central Bank of Belize in Cabinet for discussion and under which BELTRAIDE falls, an initiative to assist micro, for COVID-19 relief. approval in the coming week. Hon. Tracy Taegar-Panton, has small, and medium enterprises This and other post-COVID Applications for this said that BELTRAIDE’s Board (MSMEs) which have greatly economic activities are being program will run for three weeks of Directors has approved an suffered the ill effects of finalized and executed via the beginning as early as August. additional $500,000 to add COVID-19. Through this three- Economic Stabilization and Currently, there are discussions to this amount so that around month assistance program, the Recovery Committee, a smaller for applications to receive 200 additional MSMEs can be MSME Support Program, GOB committee of the national individual grants of $2,500 and, served. From the $14 million, $7 is hoping that up to $14 million taskforce. Prime Minister of by calculations, up to 1,000 million would be used for wages can be dedicated toward the Belize Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow has MSMEs would be able to receive for these MSMEs provided that assistance of these MSMEs. This highlighted that it is currently in this grant. Minister of State social security contributions for employees are paid. The remaining $5 million, as Dr. Carla Barnett from the Economic South side Belize City Oversight Committee says, will be set aside to provide soft under State of Emergency loans for MSMEs which are The entirety of South side was enacted. Minister Peyrefitte, Force. A number of persons reopening. Belize City is currently under COMPOL Williams, and ACP were found attempting to flee Dr. Leroy Almendarez, a 30-day State of Emergency Marco Vidal, Commander of the city’s limits but were taken Executive Director of (SOE) which came into effect Operations, all shared the same into custody. ACP Vidal says that BELTRAIDE, has specified at 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 7. sentiments when the SOE was known persons have gone into that to be considered and The proclamation was signed announced: that no lawlessness hiding but are being pursued by approved for the program, these by the Governor General, Sir will be tolerated. the police. MSMEs must be engaged in a Colville Young, at the advice From the start of the SOE, This follows a recently lifted limited number of areas. These of our Minister of National 3:00 a.m. July 7, up until 11:00 SOE which we endured due to the include tourism and leisure, Security, Sen. Hon. Michael a.m. that same morning, a number COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to transportation and logistics, Peyrefitte, and Commissioner of security personnel from both that SOE, however, in February agriculture, agro-processing, and of Police, Chester Williams, due the Belize Defence Force and and March, a number of persons fisheries, light manufacturing; to the recent spate of murders the Belize Police Department were detained due to a series of creative and cultural industries, and other crimes. The brazen were seen mobile and active murders and crimes in which both and commercial free zone. robberies, instances of extortion on our streets. They descended adults and children were victims. He added that some 60% of on the part of gang members, and into various areas where at That SOE was to be extended employment in the country is consecutive murders have become least ten gangs are known to but due to COVID-19, it was not attributed to MSME’s. burdensome to the Ministry of gather and from that ten, they possible. ACP Vidal stated that if National Security and all its focused mostly on the Ghost there is the need for an extension security forces. According to Town and South Side gangs for this current 30-day SOE, that The Guardian Minister Peyrefitte, intelligence and their immediate affiliates. will take place. There has been Protecting Freedom Rights Democracy has suggested that the recent As many as 99 known criminal the expression that persons, who murders of Raheem Faber and gang associates were picked had been detained in the March Raheem Myles, which the up during that time, as well as SOE, and who have been walking EDITOR: police have determined to be gang evidence including drugs, a straight line since, will be Alfonso Noble connected, would only result in weapons, and ammunition. These spared from this SOE. Those who ADVERTISING further bloodshed. It is to curb were seized and deposited for are persistent, conversely, will be Louis Thompson that possibility that the SOE review by the Anti-Gang Task put away. 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, July 12, 2020 Page 4 THE GUARDIAN Sunday, July 12, 2020 Unemployment relief Chicken shortage for program to continue the next two weeks The Guardian Newspaper And what has caused visited several fresh chicken the shortfall? Cowo told The outlets in Belize City and found Guardian that it is as a result of that most of their freezers are COVID-19. In mid-April, poultry empty. There is simply no chicken producers were forced to sell available for sale. We sought to chicken at discounted prices. At investigate and found out that the time they had produced the there is actually a shortage of the meat to supply normal economic cheap source of protein. activity but with the shutdown Amado Cowo, Manager of caused by the pandemic they the Belize Poultry Association were left with an oversupply, confirmed that over the next two which forced them to sell cheap. weeks, there will be shortages Cowo said that a reaction to the in what are considered specialty pandemic was also to depopulate cuts like legs, wings, breasts and the birds, meaning that they killed the like. He explained however off and sold off live chickens, Dr. Carla Barnett that there is currently some 460 which would be the egg layers A great number of persons, the project has been $34.5 thousand pounds of whole chicken to produce meat. He added that who lost their source of income million, the original estimate. in reserves, enough to suffice the this was done in order to not to due to COVID-19, and those who This seems to be the cap point market for the next two to three incur great losses as the projected were unemployed and became for the project’s first phase as weeks. The shortage will come demand under the period of lock even more greatly affected, Dr. Barnett explained that it is for the specialty cuts and this is down was severely reduced. He were able to benefit from GOB’s not expected that there would causing outlets to be rationing the stated that this was done because unemployment relief program. be any more approvals under purchase of chicken. producers simply did not know Since around March of this year, phase one. Phase two, which Cowo explains that there are how long it would take for the some 81,000 applications were is expected to start after the entities that are able to purchase economy to normalize. received of which 45,085 have outstanding payments from large amounts of chicken and While a shortage in chicken so far been approved. Of those phase one are made, will receive store it and if that is allowed to is of concern, Cowo stated that approvals, approximately 45% additional financial resources. take place, the consumer that the producers will do their best were persons who were laid Likewise, persons who are still purchases small amounts would to meet demands. He added that off; 25% persons who were currently under the group of not be able to have access. The chicken production runs in cycles previously self-employed; and long-term unemployment will retailers then are now actively of six weeks. Within that time all the remaining 30% called long be directed to the Ministry only selling small amounts of chicken products are expected to term unemployed. of Human Development for chicken to customers. be back to normal supply. Dr. Carla Barnett of further assistance. Unemployed the Economic Assistance persons who were already Committee explained that approved under phase one of Johnny abandons COVID-19 several applications had to be the project can also reapply denied approval because of for assistance under phase two. oversight committee to sit incorrect information. Those Aside from these logistics, persons will be allowed to phase two will also include an receive their assistance from MSME Support Program which, at street corners Pictures surfaced on TopUp cards through Heritage conversely, will focus less on Facebook over the weekend Bank, which is expected to roll unemployment relief and more of Johnny Briceño sitting on out within the week.