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This Week's Stories:

• Break or Breakthough? PM's Intervention To Avert Banking Crisis:
  De-risking by international US banks and the consequent loss of correspondent banking arrangements is the number one issue currently confronting Belize. Having just returned home from a trip to the United States where he headed a high level delegation to resolve the matter, Prime Minister Hon. Dean Barrow summoned the media to a press conference to update the nation on what was achieved and what the current situation is. The Prime Minister informed that he and his delegation met with top officials from the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), specifically, Mr. Thomas F. Curry; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC); and the Secretary of Treasury, Mr. Jacob Lew. PM Barrow says they all indicated they are pleased that Belize is doing what it can to address the issues that the regulatory measures are intended to combat, including money laundering and financing of terrorism. He said they indicated they are satisfied that Belize is a safe jurisdiction and will clearly communicate that to US banks seeking to do business with domestic banks in Belize.
• De-Risking or Destruction? Neither is Fair:
  If there were any scheme designed to destroy the economies of several countries without a military war, then this is such a scheme. It is erroneous; it is pernicious; and it is vicious". That was how Antigua and Barbuda's Prime Minister Gaston Browne described the way in which US banks, under pressure from US regulatory agencies, are cutting off correspondent relations with Caribbean indigenous and offshore banks unilaterally and with very little notice. No wonder then that the Prime Minister of Belize, Deane Barrow, who restricts travelling to the minimum because of spinal challenges, was in Washington DC for much of the week beginning January 25th to meet senior representatives of the US government and regulatory agencies. Of all the Caribbean countries, Belize has been the hardest hit by US banks terminating correspondent relations. But, other Caribbean countries are also feeling the squeeze of what is obscurely called "de-risking". Indeed, the problem is so acute that no foot-dragging on the issue could be excused. The matter should be the highest priority for regional governments, diplomats and the entire private sector, not only banks for whom the issue has become one of immediacy.
• Shoulder to Shoulder, Strength to Strength:
  The Belize Defence Force has added 80 new soldiers to its ranks. Pass-out ceremonies were held for the new intake on Friday January 29, 2016 at the BDF Headquarters at Price Barracks, Ladyville, on the eve of the 38th anniversary of the force's formation. The soldiers who make up intake number 61 underwent four months of rigorous training. Guest speaker for the pass-out ceremony was Minister of National Security Honourable John Saldivar, who congratulated the men and women for having successfully completed the arduous course of training."Recruit Intake 61 started off with a total of 120 recruits, but by the second week of training, that figure had gone down by 30. In the subsequent weeks, several more recruits who could not cope with the training dropped out and hence today there are only 80 recruits passing out. Give them a round of applause for their survival! Recruit training by design and intention is tough, both mentally and physically, and only the strongest will survive," Honourable Saldivar remarked.
• Editorial: Summoning The Spirit of 2009:
  The threats and challenges confronting the domestic financial sector, as it pertains to de-risking and loss of correspondent banking, are real and potentially disastrous to the nation and its economy. But, as Prime Minister Dean Barrow has emphasized in the National Assembly, press conferences and interviews with the local media, it is important that we NOT exaggerate the magnitude of the actual harm being done. We must also be realistic and truthful, as the Prime Minister was back in 2009 when he informed the nation that the global recession had hit home. As the PM indicated back then, we would enter with eyes wide open and successfully navigate our way through the turbulent waters of economic recession without swallowing the bitter pill of the IMF. Against the global backdrop of protracted, economic contraction and negative growth, our endurance and recovery was remarkable.
• Johnny Is Back!:
  In a special convention in Belmopan on Sunday, January 31, Hon. John Briceno captured leadership of the Opposition People's United Party, a position he had voluntarily relinquished prior to the 2012 General Elections. Briceno garnered 1,125 votes, defeating incumbent Leader Hon. Francis Fonseca who received 918 votes, and Hon. Cordel Hyde who got 673 votes. Henry Charles Usher was retuned as Party Chairman. Other executives elected were Jose Abelardo Mai as Northern Deputy Leader, Rodwell Ferguson as Southern Deputy Leader, and Anthony Mahler as Communications Director
• "The Sky is the Limit!" Banking Sector Challenged but Optimistic:
  It is no secret that the banking sector in Belize is facing some unprecedented challenges these days with de-risking measures being taken by International banks particularly in the United States, a situation which threatens the correspondent banking arrangements that have been in place over the years. Notwithstanding, even as the Prime Minister and his Financial team travelled to the United States to resolve the matter, local bankers at home were expressing optimism about the prospects or Belize's financial sector. One such person is Lyndon Guisseppe, Chairman of Belize Bank Limited. Guisseppe, who had accompanied the Prime Minister on an earlier trip to the United States to take up the issue with executives from the Bank of America, expressed optimism last week as he spoke with reporters from the local media, optimism about the future of his own bank and the overall prospects for Belize's banking sector.
• Belize Chairs CARICOM High Commissioners Meeting:
  This past Thursday, January 28, 2016, CARICOM Heads of Missions in London held their first meeting of the New Year, 2016. The meeting, chaired by Belize, was held at the High Commission of Guyana in London. Guest of honour at the meeting was newly elected Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Baroness Patricia Scotland, who is yet to be officially sworn in to her new post. She will officially take up the office on April 1, 2016 as the sixth Secretary-General since the Commonwealth Secretariat was established in 1965. Her appointment has been hailed as a true breakthrough for gender equality in the Commonwealth.
• New Water System for Santa Anna - Toledo:
  Minister of Economic Development Hon. Erwin Contreras and Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Hon. Hugo Patt were main speakers at inauguration ceremonies on Friday, January 29 for an upgraded and expanded Water System in the village of Santa Anna in the Toledo District. At a cost of over half a million dollars, the project was financed by the Government of Belize through a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB). It entailed construction of a 20,000 gallon elevated storage tank, a 10 by 10 foot ferroconcrete pump house, a chain link fence for security, installation of a new 5 HP Submersible Pump, a liquid injector chlorinator unit, 13,000 feet of transmission and distribution lines and 91 water meters.
• Mayors Association Meets in Punta Gorda:
  The Mayors' Association of Belize convened this past Friday, January 29, 2016 in Punta Gorda, hosted by the Mayor of that municipality, Fern Gutierrez. Mayors representing other municipalities were Francis Humphreys of Dangriga, Khalid Belisle of Belmopan City, Earl Trapp of San Ignacio-Santa Elena, Heraldo Rancharan of Benque Viejo, Daniel (Danny) Guerrero of San Pedro Ambergris Caye, and Darrell Bradley of Belize City. The Meeting was also attended by the new Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Honourable Hugo Patt, Chief Executive Officer in that Ministry, Kerry Belisle, and other officials having to do with Local Government and Rural Development
• Ombudsman's Reappointment Sparks Parliamentary Debate:
  He has held the position for three years, since January 2013, and at the last House meeting held on Friday January 22, 2016, Prime Minister Hon. Dean Barrow announced the Government's intention to reappoint Ombudsman Lionel Arzu for another year. The Prime Minister introduced a motion for the reappointment effective January 1, 2016. Once approved by the House of Representative and Senate, it would be forwarded to the Governor General for the reappointment to be effected. And it was approved by the House and Senate, but not before for some strong opposition and debating. In the House of Representatives, it was the Leader of the Opposition, Francis Fonseca who took issue with the proposed reappointment. Fonseca stated, "This is not a motion that we can support on this side of the House. We wish to place on record that over the past few years that Mr. Arzu has served as the Ombudsman, we have received, and many of my colleagues have reported to me, these complaints and concerns about the level of inactivity and ineffectiveness of the Office of the Ombudsman over the past few years.
• "A Force To Reckon With", Belize Coast Guard - Ten Years and Growing:
  A force to be reckoned with - that's how Admiral John Borland described the Belize Coast Guard which he commands. The admiral was speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday January 19, 2016, the purpose being to review the Belize Coast Guard's progress and effectiveness after ten years of existence, particularly over the past year (2015), and to offer some insight and details about the goals and plans for 2016 and beyond. "The year 2015 marked some significant achievements in the development of the Belize [National] Coast Guard. The coast guard celebrated its tenth anniversary which symbolized ten years of existence and contribution to the safety, security and protection of Belize. The Coast Guard also reached the end of its medium-term strategy for development and operations. We are now in long-term strategy which will take us to 2020. The Coast Guard grew from a strength of 50 in 2005 when we started, to 320 in 2015; but more significantly, over the last two years, since 2012, the Coast Guard grew from a strength of 120 to 320," Borland recounted.
• Belize's Latest Tourism Statistics:
  month ago, in his 2016 New Year's Message, Prime Minister Dean Barrow spoke of the nation's economic performance in 2015, stating, "It is in Tourism that our prospects continue to shine brightest." That statement was supported by the latest statistics just released by the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) which show that 2015, notwithstanding a wobbly start, turned out to be a record-breaking year, as the number of arrivals in both overnight and cruise tourism continued to grow considerably. In December alone, there was a total of 39, 977 overnight visitors. There was a very small reduction of one percent in the cruise sector, with a total of 957,975 passengers coming onshore in Belize. At a press briefing on Wednesday, January 27, 2015, BTB's Marketing and Public Relations Manager Noriko Gamero commented on the figures: "We went up 6.2 percent in overnight arrivals. The last seven months saw a positive increase, with the last couple of months showing extraordinary numbers.
• Temporary Senator for Labour Sworn In:
  The position of Senator representing Labour has been filled, at least temporarily, by prominent, long-time unionist, Elena Smith. She was sworn in at the Senate Meeting on Wednesday, January 27, 2016 as the Senator representing the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) and Civil Society. Speaking with the media, Smith commented, "My role is just that, to represent the Trade Unions and Civil Society. It is for me to sit with them when the Bills come that we can discuss and come up with a position, so that when I come to Senate meetings, I can give the position of NTUCB and Civil Society. At this point, thank you for your congratulations. At this point, the initial appointment is temporary until the Civil Society and the NTUCB can come up with a procedure for identifying our Senator."
• US PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES BEGIN:
  US PRESIDENTIAL PRIMARIES BEGIN The process to elect a new President for the United States of America officially kicked off Monday, February 1, 2016 with the Iowa Caucus. On the Republican side, Texas Senator Ted Cruz (28%) was victorious, beating out Donald Trump (24 %) who came second. Marco Rubio (23%) had a strong third place finish. He is certainly now the establishment candidate to watch going forward especially since polls indicate he is the most electable Republican for President. In a triumphant and optimistic speech Monday night, Senator Rubio declared, "In America there are only two ways forward for us now; we can either be greater than we've ever been or we can be a great nation in decline... Now the moment has arrived for this generation of Americans to rise up to the calling of our heritage�We will embrace all of the principles that made America great and we will apply them to the unique challenges of this century."
• MCC Grounds - Marion Jones - Motorcycles, Sports Minister and Director On The Ball:
  In the new term of this Dean Barrow administration, Orange East Area Representative Elodio Aragon has been named Minister of State with responsibility for Youth and Sports. Coming from a district with a strong sports culture, Aragon brings great enthusiasm to that Ministry. The new Director of the National Sports Council, Ritchel Dominquez, also being a person from the North with an impressive track-record of involvement in the organization and promotion of sports, the energy of the new leadership combination is already being felt and making a palpable difference. One of the urgent matters being immediately tackled is that of the MCC Grounds where the much-needed rehabilitation works have not been going particularly well. The new Minister of Sports and his team have quickly jumped on the ball, determined to resolve the matter as promptly as possible.
• Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management:
  The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) in partnership with the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) are seeking to strengthen and sustain national resilience through prioritized targeting of the most vulnerable communities. In efforts to promote and enhance resilience at the national level, it is vitally important to accurately measure the level of exposure faced by communities in light of disasters. To address this issue, the CDEMA and IFRC are hosting a Strategic Targeting Methodology (STM) workshop in Paramaribo, Suriname from January 26th - 29th, 2016. Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Ronald Jackson, Executive Director of CDEMA said, "The importance of this event cannot be over-stated as we are well aware that communities are the first to be adversely affected by disaster events, especially if they are highly vulnerable. CDEMA is promoting the strengthening of community resilience as a critical plank in national development strategies."
• Belize-Guatemala Joint Commission Reactivated:
  The Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Belize and Guatemala, along with the Special Representative of the Organization of American States (OAS) Secretary General, met at the OAS office at the Adjacency Zone on Friday, 22 January 2016 to discuss the status of the bilateral agenda and reactivate the Belize-Guatemala Joint Commission as established under the Framework Agreement on Confidence Building Measures of 2005. The Ministers agreed that the work of the Joint Commission is important in promoting efforts at building confidence and enhancing relations between the two countries, even as the two countries strive to bring to an early and definitive end the dispute over Guatemalan claims in accordance with the Special Agreement between the two countries.
• Massive Investment in Education:
  On January 27, 2016, after two years of meaningful consultation, Phase 2 of the Belize Education Sector Reform Project was launched by the Ministry of Education. The main focus of this phase is the expansion of education infrastructure to accommodate and provide adequate access for students at all levels. (Phase one had concentrated on sharpening and fine-tuning the policy direction of the Ministry and Education System). Phase two, in other words, will concentrate heavily on the construction of new school buildings countrywide. A total of 35 new schools will be built countrywide. This will include 22 pre-schools, 5 primary schools, and 8 secondary schools. The entire investment is worth US$40 Million and is being financed mainly with a loan of US$35 Million from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and an input of $8.5 Million by the Government of Belize (GOB).
• Road To Seaside Paradise Paved, Inauguration of Upgraded Hopkins Access Road:
  Inaugurated on Thursday January 21, 2016 was the newly upgraded and paved Hopkins Access Road, connecting the Southern Highway with the scenic seaside village of Hopkins in the Stann Creek District. The reconstruction and paving of the road (6.7 Kilometers or 4.5 miles total length) was financed at a cost of $7,026,727.59 BZD with $5,652,101.16 being provided by the European Union (EU) and the remaining $1,374,626.43 financed by the Government of Belize (GOB). A joint Press Release from the Government of Belize and the European Union says the completion of the road project facilitates and provides goods and trade and generate employment opportunities, notably bed and breakfast businesses, resorts, bus owners, taxi drivers and other businesses, resulting in significant bridges to double lane, two (2) swale drainage structures of 100 metres each, traffic signs & road marking.
• Socio-Economic Transformation in the South:
  On Thursday January 21, 2016 the Government of Belize in partnership with the European Union officially inaugurated the upgraded Punta Gorda Market in Toledo District. Financing for the Punta Gorda Market Project was divided into two components with a contract price of $975,936.89 BZD. The European Union provided $844,063.17 and the Government of Belize bridged the remaining $131,873.72. The project included the refurbishment of the existing market to accommodate 11 new individual stalls and reconstruction of the Civic Centre with 12 new stalls and bathrooms for Fruit & Vegetable vendors. Another outstanding feature of the market project is that the design of the existing layout was improved to accommodate the Arts & Craft and Food vendors.
• conPARLIAMENT ADDRESSES CRITICAL ISSUES. De-Risking and the Loss of Correspondent Banking:
  One of the most notable exchanges in the House Meeting of Friday January 22, 2016 was on the pressing issue of de-risking and correspondent banking. The matter was raised by first-time Opposition member, Honourable Kareem Musa, Area Representative for Caribbean Shores, which is the constituency with the greatest concentration of business people involved in commerce and industry. For the Government side, the response came from Prime Minister Hon. Dean Barrow himself, who is also the Minister of Finance. In introducing the issue, Honourable Kareem Musa remarked, "Mr. Speaker, it's no doubt an issue that affects businessmen and businesswomen not only from my constituency of Caribbean Shores, but from all our constituencies. It is in fact a very crippling effect it has had on our economy, debilitating to the point where it is no longer possible to do business, and I am speaking in particular about the purchase of goods from the United States and elsewhere, and I am speaking about the use of credit cards.
• PARLIAMENT ADDRESSES CRITICAL ISSUES, Cruise Tourism and Docking Facility - Exclusivity and Desirablity:
  In a House Meeting which featured limited sparring, the only other issue that was significantly contentious was that of cruise-ship terminals to be built. On this issue, the main pugilist on the Opposition side was Toledo East Area Representative Hon. Mike Espat, and again the counter-punching came from Prime Minister Hon. Dean Barrow. The exchange developed out of a piece of legislation introduced from 2015 having to do with tax and duty exemptions for Norwegian Cruise Line in their construction of a cruise-ship port at Harvest Caye in the South, that piece of legislation known as the Belize Island Holdings Facility Development Bill. The Bill having already been passed, the Toledo East member, Honourable Mike Espat nevertheless registered his disapproval, on the adjournment, with the tax breaks and exclusivity granted: "We just passed a bill on the cruise terminal in the south and I believe that when that bill came first to the House, we did not agree on that 25 years exclusivity that they are giving that particular company, and in the meantime we have had maybe 2 other Belizean companies that did not get any favour with this government.