Friday, July 2, 2021 AMANDALABelize Page 1 NO. 3472 BELIZE CITY, FRIDAY, JULY 2, 2021 (40 PAGES) $1.50 11th amendment to block convicts from House BELIZE CITY, Thurs. July imprisonment will be subject 1, 2021 to disquaification. Reports are that the 11th The nature of such an MOHW officials amendment to the Belize amendment and its very Constitution will be tabled timing would suggest that it suspect Delta at a meeting of the House of is aimed at one area Representatives that is representative: Hon. Shyne variant in Belize scheduled to take place on Barrow, who now holds the Friday, July 2. This new position of Opposition amendment, if passed, Leader that was stripped from would reportedly disqualify embattled UDP leader, Hon. convicts and persons who Patrick Faber. Hon. Barrow, have served time in prison the area representative of the from being elected as a Mesopotamia constituency, member of the House. Any was convicted of offenses in member of the National Assembly offense will be disqualified from the US and served time in a US prison. convicted for a crime related to abuse servings as a member. Also persons of public office or an election related sentenced to more than 12 months Please turn toPage 38 BELIZE CITY, Wed. June 30, 2021 Today, the Minister of Health and Wellness, Hon. Michel Chebat, BDF destroys New COVID-19 measures announced confirmed that a new strain of the Covid-19 virus was identified in illegal structure by Dayne Guy Belize. According to reports, healthcare personnel believe it is the in Adjacency BELIZE CITY, Wed. June 30, 2021 Delta variant, which is said to be At an event marking the relaunch more contagious and deadly, and Zone of Belize’s vaccination program, the which first became known globally Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. after persons infected with the virus Kareem Musa, presented a set of new in India began to exhibit unusual and measures that are being put in place disturbing symptoms not typically in response to the resurgence of associated with COVID-19. Belize COVID-19 cases in certain parts of has now solicited assistance from the country (with clusters emerging Baylor College to pinpoint exactly in the Orange Walk, Stann Creek, what variant is currently circulating Belize and Toledo Districts) and within the country. Reports are that Belize has Please turn toPage 39 acquired equipment used to identify COVID-19 variants during testing, but the country still needs to have LPG companies sue National Gas Co. additional gene sequencing done Please turn toPage 38 BELIZE CITY, Wed. June 30, 2021 BELIZE CITY, Wed. June 30, 2021 Four former Liquified SIB releases The Belize Defence Force has sent Petroleum Gas (LPG) a report to the Ministry of Foreign importers have brought a 2018 poverty Affairs concerning the burning of a constitutional lawsuit house belonging to a Guatemalan against the Government study national earlier this week. The man of Belize in an effort to (See story on page 6) was reportedly squatting on the regain their place in a Belize side of the Adjacency market allegedly Zone. The structure was allegedly monopolized by the “Before you burnt by members of the 2nd Infantry government- Battalion. backed National Gas relax, get vax!” He was identified as Felipe Company Limited says MOHW (NGC). Please turn toPage 39 Audrey Matura is the attorney for Please turn toPage 38 (See story on page 37) Page 2 AMANDALABelize Friday, July 2, 2021 Blue Economy Min. makes plans for finfish trade by Dayne Guy varied finfish value chain. The sustainable use of finfish resources will BELIZE CITY, Wed. June 30, 2021 create opportunities for families to Yesterday, June 29, the Government sustain themselves and engage in trade of Belize began a four-day workshop through access to diversified marine that is aimed at improving the species, instead of relying solely on management of the country’s multi- heavily exploited nearshore resources species finfish fishery. The workshop like the spiny lobster and queen conch. is being co-organized by the United Nicanor Requeña, project manager Nations Conference on Trade and of the Environmental Defense Fund Development (UNCTAD), the (EDF), further noted, “With regards to Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law this training workshop in particular, the of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs main objective is to bring together a (DOALOS), and the Directorate multi-stakeholder group that is General for Foreign Trade, and represented by the fishermen, the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). cooperatives, the Belize Fisheries The workshop ends on Friday, July 2.. Department, local partners such as the The workshop is being conducted as co-managers of these protected areas realize that we need a proper building the capacity of all the a part of phase II of a United Nations in the country, and really bring this management plan — a robust and participants in terms of understanding Development Account-funded project discussion in a way that will be able to structured management plan, to ensure the fundamental principles of good that is being coordinated by both generate the information that is the long-term sustainable use of finfish fisheries management, which is in the UNCTAD and DOALOS, and is geared necessary to finalize the multi-species resources in Belize and also help to context of climate change, it’s in the at strengthening the capacity of finfish management plan for Belize, inform the development of that resource context of all these challenges that not developing coastal countries like which is a priority for the Fisheries in Belize.” only Belize faces, but the globe faces Belize to expand, adopt and implement Department, a priority for the Blue Wade pointed out that finfish fishing in terms of fisheries management. We proven policies; and Blue Economy Economy ministry and really a priority has actually been an informal sector in expect that the participants will also and trade strategies. One of the goals for the country. It is one of those the country for some time. It is currently go with an appreciation of them being of this effort is the promotion of fisheries that really has not been not an export-oriented activity, but it a part of an effort so that they are able sustainable trade and services in addressed. There’s been a lot of effort was in the past. A more structured to say this is not only a finfish ocean-based sectors. that has been done for lobster, conch regime that allows for more sustainable management plan developed by the The actions taken during the and no finfish.” use of this fishery will play an important department or by government, but that implementation of phase II of the The Policy and Planning Advisor in role domestically and internationally, I, a fisherman or a cooperative member, project will help the country ensure that the Ministry of Blue Economy, Ms. from an export-oriented perspective or the co-manager, is able to take its marine ecosystems are resilient and Beverly Wade, explained, “We have and will ensure that the fishery is ownership of that plan because you will that livelihood is guaranteed for well-established management plans for properly managed and that it will have an appreciation that developing fishery-dependent communities. our primary commodities such as contribute to better livelihood and the plan is only one step.” He Toward this end, the initiative will lobster and queen conch, and we have economic output, Wade said. emphasized that implementation of the involve the development of a multi- now reached the juncture where we Requeña stated, “Apart from plan is even more important. SIB reports 2.8% inflation by Kory Leslie (freelance writer) million in 2021 in comparison to received a slightly lower BZ $5.1 BZ $9.6 million to BZ $12.9 BZ$0.8 million in the same period million this year due to “diminished million), crude materials (from BZ BELIZE CITY, Wed. June 30, 2021 in 2020. Additionally, there was an exports of grapefruit concentrate”. $0.7 million to BZ $3.8 million) and In the Statistical Institute of increase in earnings from the sale The increase in the country’s imports into the “designated Belize’s (SIB) report on the of sugar, with BZ $18.3 million imports, however, was even more processing areas” (from BZ $2.4 country’s economic activity in the being earned in the first quarter of substantial than the uptick in exports, million to BZ$3.1 million). The only first quarter of 2021, the institute 2021, which is almost a million with about BZ $59.4 million being decrease in imports was seen in the noted that the country saw a 28.8 % dollars more than the BZ $17.6 spent in the first quarter in 2021 — oils and fats category, which slipped increase in exports— which shot up million earned in 2020. Also, the a 58.2% increase over what was from BZ $2.3 million to BZ $2 from BZ $36.9 million in the first country this year exported a small spent in 2020, when there were million in 2021. quarter of 2020 to BZ 45.7 million shipment of crude oil valued at “severe disruptions to internal trade” Notably, while these import in 2021: an increase of BZ $8.8 BZ$0.02 million, whereas in 2020 as a result of COVID-19, says the figures are drastically higher than the million. Notably, the export of there were no exports of crude SIB. Substantial increases were seen 2020 import numbers, Tiffany bananas yielded an increased petroleum due to border closures. in the purchase of products such as Vasquez, Statistician II of the SIB, revenue of almost BZ$3 million.