Friday, June 4, 2021 AMANDALABelize Page 1 NO. 3465 BELIZE CITY, FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021 (36 PAGES) $1.50 Briceño visits Giammattei BELIZE CITY, Wed. June 2, 2021 Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño US national is on his first official visit to Guatemala after accepting an dies in RTTTAAA invitation from that country’s president, H.E. Alejandro inininvvvolving Giammattei Falla. He arrived on Tuesday, June 1. senior cop This bout of diplomatic talks has commenced while the Belize- Guatemala territorial dispute lies by Dayne Guy before the International Court of Justice. The two countries have begun BUENA VISTA VILLAGE, Corozal to strengthen diplomatic relations — District, Tues. June 1, 2021 with one notable part of that effort On Tuesday, June 1, a fatal road being the reconstitution of the Belize- traffic accident on the Philip Goldson Guatemala Joint Commission, which Highway claimed the life of a US held its first meeting since its national. According to reports, reactivation on May 18 in Belize City. sometime around 1:00 p.m. that day, “While Guatemala’s claim is Assistant Commissioner of Police before the International Court of (ACP), Aaron Guzman, was heading in the direction of Orange Walk to Please turn toPage 31 procure vehicle parts for his government-issued vehicle that was being serviced. A vehicle being driven by an American national, Hartin bail Hurricane season begins reportedly heading in the opposite direction, was in the process of overtaking another vehicle, when the application driver lost control of the vehicle, ultimately crashing into ACP adjourned Guzman’s car near Bella Vista village. When interviewed after the incident, ACP Guzman explained, “There was a pickup truck heading in the opposite direction of me. A small gray car was trying to overtake the pickup, but when it realized it was not going to overtake Please turn toPage 31 GoB amends Consent BELIZE CITY, Wed. June 2, 2021 BELIZE CITY, Tues. June 1, 2021 season — although, fortunately, it is Jasmine Hartin remains behind Today marks the official start of not expected to be as active as the Solicitation bars at the Belize Central Prison. She the Atlantic Hurricane Season. 2020 season. will stay there for about a week, Climatologists from the National Last year, in Belize, we saw BELIZE CITY, Tues. June 1, 2021 since a decision on her bail Oceanic and Atmospheric historic floods resulting from Today, the government of Belize application has been postponed by Administration (NOAA) predict yet issued a release announcing the Justice Herbert Lord. another above-average hurricane Please turn toPage 31 extension of the expiration date of the Today, her attorney, SC Godfrey Consent Solicitation that it had Smith, applied for bail on her behalf submitted to holders of the at the Supreme Court. Justice Herbert Superbond, until June 11, 2021. Lord was chosen by the Acting Chief COVID case found at Wesley High The Consent Solicitation seeks to Justice Michelle Arana to preside (See story on page 6) extend the grace period for the most over the application. recent scheduled payment on the debt, But before addressing the issue of which had become due on May 20. bail, Justice Lord went to great Opp. Leader Faber “loses it”, again The Briceño administration’s Please turn toPage 30 (See story on page 4) Please turn toPage 31 Page 2 AMANDALABelize Friday, June 4, 2021 SSB launches new RSL responds to GoB motion online portal by Kory Leslie (freelance writer) BELIZE CITY, Belize. Tues. June 1, 2021 The Social Security Board (SSB) has announced that they will be hosting a series of activities to engage the public in the month of June in commemoration of their 40th anniversary. One initiative that they have launched this month to provide BELIZE CITY, Wed. June 2, 2021 taken to the National Assembly,” the ease of access to their customers is their On Monday, June 1, Recological release argued. new online portal, through which SSB Systems Limited (RSL) issued a The Leader of the Opposition, customers can create and access their press release in response to the Patrick Faber, had made a similar account using any mobile device. The government’s recent motion to cancel assertion when he contested the portal has been in the works for a few the lease which granted them control motion at the House meeting. He had years. portal for free, since they realized that of the Commerce Bight Port. pointed out that the legislation During a media mixer held by the many users might not have a bank The Motion to Consider the provides for the disposal of assets, SSB on Monday, the SSB General account. Approval by the National Assembly and cannot be applied to rental or Manager for Corporate Customer “What we did get was cooperation of the Disposition of the Commerce leases. Service, Chandra Nisbet Cansino, from the banking institutions, because Bight Port to Recological Systems The company is now gearing up for stated that creating an account is as a lot of persons, believe it or not, don’t Limited, 2021, which was tabled by what looks like a legal battle against simple as “creating a Facebook have bank accounts, so in order to Minister responsible for ports, Hon. the Briceño administration. “We have account” and merely requires users to access the service you need to open Rodwell Ferguson, was passed last a valid and legally binding lease and go to the SSB website and enter their the bank account and many persons Friday in the House of rental agreement to develop and basic information and biodata. Each don’t even have the amount that you Representatives, effectively revoking manage the Commerce Bight Port and account is authenticated with a barcode would need to put the minimum the lease granted to RSL. will pursue all options to ensure that sent directly to the provided email amount, you know. Some banks need RSL’s release, however, stated that our rights are respected and honored,” address used to open the account. like 100 to open an account, but we got the company and its legal team are the company said in its release. Persons seeking to renew or replace the cooperation from the banks to still “baffled” by what took place at The company urged the their Social Security card can now waiver those minimum requirements so the last sitting of the House of government to honor the lease schedule their appointments through this the persons were able to open the bank Representatives. agreement and said that they remain platform to reduce the amount of traffic accounts with nothing and start from “There were no grounds under the open to engaging with government in at the main offices. The portal is also there. That was the main challenge. Finance and [Audit] Reform Act that order to ensure a “beneficial path live so that persons who need to update There is still people up to now who do would require for the lease to be moving forward.” their contact information, banking not have bank accounts, and we would information and other personal have provided support in that area. But Notably, the launch of the portal information can do so online, after the access to the service, it hasn’t been system is only in its first stage of which the changes will be immediately a challenge for the rural communities, development, and thus only card GOB reduces reflected in their account. because again the challenge for them renewal/replacement appointment Cansino also mentioned that they might be the fact that they may not have services are available through the portal working hours worked with local banking and a bank account to start it , and so we at this time. In the upcoming months, financial institutions to waive starter have the support of the institution the SSB hopes to extend the services for public fees associated with opening an countrywide to be able to waive that to contribution history details and account, so that users could join the requirement,” said Cansino. claiming services. workers Cabinet briefing by Dayne Guy BELMOPAN, Tues. June 1, 2021 by Kory Leslie (freelance writer) were done on roadways and road discussed the recent phased reopening During negotiations with the Joint infrastructure as well as to the streets of land and sea borders which started Unions, the Government of Belize, in BELIZE CITY, Tues. June 1, 2021 in the national road network that were on May 31, 2021. As previously an effort to get the unions to agree to On Tuesday the Cabinet held their “already in a state of disrepair due to reported, the Santa Elena Northern a 10% salary cut, had offered to weekly meeting, chaired by Prime years of neglect.” Border, Benque Viejo Del Carmen reduce the number of hours of work Minister Hon. John Briceño. At the In his presentation on the challenges Western Border, and San Pedro and for public workers. It now appears meeting presentations were made by being tackled in the Ministry of Punta Gorda borders are being that this reduction of the work week the Minister of Infrastructure Natural Resources, Petroleum and reopened solely for the entry of foreign of government employees will soon Development and Housing, Hon. Mining, the Deputy Prime Minister, tourists who will be visiting the be put into effect, since GOB has Julius Espat; Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Cordel Hyde, discussed the country for recreation/vacation issued approval for the number of and Minister of Natural Resources, current “technical challenges” being purposes. The Cabinet briefing work hours for government Petroleum and Mining, Hon. Cordel faced by the country in its efforts to reiterates that only tourists who are employees, which is stipulated in the Hyde; and the Minister of Tourism manage “growing volumes of waste”.