Carib Scope

分类： business

  • “Go Home”: Unions Turn Up Heat on BTL Chairman

    “Go Home”: Unions Turn Up Heat on BTL Chairman

    In a sharply escalating standoff over corporate governance and public trust, Belize’s major trade union bodies have ramped up pressure against Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) Chairman Markhelm Lizarraga, calling not just for his resignation but for his immediate departure from the role with no retirement benefits whatsoever.

    The hardening stance was announced publicly during a National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) press briefing held in Belize City on August 18, 2026. Union Senator Glenfield Dennison laid out the unions’ non-negotiable demand in blunt terms, stating: “He needs to do the honorable thing and resign and get no benefits, go directly home — do not pass go, do not collect your pension, do not collect any compensation, just leave.”

    The root of the unrest stems from Lizarraga’s stewardship of the now-defunct proposed acquisition of Speednet/SMART by BTL. Unions argue that Lizarraga’s management of the high-stakes deal cost him the confidence of both BTL’s 1,200-strong workforce and the general Belizean public, after he failed to provide sufficient transparency and open communication around a transaction that would have had major impacts on industry employment and national digital infrastructure.

    NTUCB President Ella Waight expanded on the organizations’ collective concerns, noting: “We believe that the chairman has not been sufficiently honest, transparent and forthcoming with Belizean workers and the Belizean public and therefore has lost the confidence of many BTL employees, working people across the country, and ordinary Belizeans.”

    The movement to remove Lizarraga has gained significant traction on the ground: the Belize Communication Workers Union (BCWU), which represents roughly 60 percent of all BTL employees, has formally issued a vote of no confidence against the chairman. BCWU General Secretary Harrison August emphasized that Lizarraga failed repeatedly to meet basic standards of governance, saying the chairman “has failed to act with transparency, timely communication, consultation, and good faith engagement, particularly on the decision that directly impacts the employees of BTL and the people of Belize.”

    For his part, Lizarraga has pushed back against the criticisms, defending his professional record amid the cloud over his handling of the acquisition. When previously questioned about concerns over his integrity tied to the deal, he pointed to the notable corporate turnaround BTL has achieved during his tenure as chairman, arguing that his performance should speak for itself. “You will judge me by the works and the results,” he stated.

    The unfolding conflict marks one of the most high-profile industrial disputes in Belize’s telecommunications sector in recent years, with implications for the future of BTL’s leadership and the regulation of major corporate acquisitions in the country’s key digital industry.

  • Landmark Dangote Refinery deal could deepen investment ties between Africa and the Caribbean

    Landmark Dangote Refinery deal could deepen investment ties between Africa and the Caribbean

    Africa’s largest oil refining complex, Nigeria’s Dangote Petroleum Refinery, is casting a wider net for global capital as it prepares for a future initial public offering, with Caribbean investors now positioned to tap into one of the continent’s most high-profile industrial infrastructure opportunities.

    Two financial advisory firms, Marob Strategies and Consulting DIFC Ltd and Lilium Capital Group, announced in a joint statement that they have wrapped up the first phase of a $1 billion underwriting initiative for the Lagos-based refinery, which brought its first production units online in January 2024. Under the terms of the programme, Pan-African Refinery Investment SPV, a dedicated subsidiary of Lilium Capital Group, has already completed and funded a $600 million private placement. An additional $400 million in capital commitments has been secured to support the planned IPO, which the firms stress has not yet launched. The public listing remains contingent on favorable market conditions, full regulatory clearance, and completion of other mandatory requirements.

    With the first phase finalized, advisory teams are now actively courting eligible investors across two key regions: Africa and the Caribbean. Target investors include sovereign wealth funds, national and local governments, large institutional investors, and other qualified market participants. For the Caribbean, this initiative marks a rare opportunity to build direct financial ties between the region’s substantial accumulated capital pools, fast-growing African industrial enterprises, and members of the global African and Caribbean diaspora seeking structured, high-impact investment exposure to African markets.

    Beyond securing funding for the Dangote refinery itself, the programme carries broader strategic objectives aligned with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework. Organizers aim to boost cross-border capital flows between African national markets, democratize ownership of a major pan-African strategic asset, and strengthen the depth and liquidity of the continent’s regional capital markets.

    Aliko Dangote, founder, president and chief executive officer of Dangote Industries, hailed the completion of the first underwriting phase as a transformative milestone for both the Dangote Petroleum Refinery Project (DPRP) and African capital markets at large. “This arrangement creates a platform for wider participation by African and Caribbean sovereign wealth funds, governments and institutional investors across Global Africa,” Dangote said in a statement.

    Professor Benedict Okey Oramah, chairman of Marob Strategies, noted that the strong early investor response confirms widespread market demand for African-led investment transactions that grant direct access to the continent’s critical, high-value infrastructure assets. “The success of this transaction paves the way for many more such transactions in the future,” Oramah said.

    Simon Tiemtoré, chairman of Lilium Capital, added that his firm’s core mission is to bridge the gap between large-scale, transformative investment opportunities across Africa and institutional capital across Global Africa and international markets.

    To date, the $600 million private placement has been fully executed and capital disbursed, while the $400 million committed for the IPO will only be drawn down if the public listing moves forward. Advisors behind the programme project that the broader initiative will do more than fund one industrial project: it will mobilize long-term patient capital for African industrialization, strengthen the continent’s energy security, support domestic import substitution, and deepen trade and financial integration. Most notably, it could build durable, mutually beneficial investment ties between Africa, the Caribbean, and the global African diaspora.

    Photo captions: (1) A distillation column at the Dangote Refinery, credit: Frank V. Eck; (2) Professor Benedict Oramah, Marob Strategies Chairman; (3) Simon Tiemtoré, Lilium Capital Chairman

  • OECS initiative strengthens data-driven approach to services trade

    OECS initiative strengthens data-driven approach to services trade

    After months of collaborative work, targeted training, and regional consultations, the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission has formally completed a landmark regional development initiative designed to help Eastern Caribbean nations unlock the full economic potential of trade in services to drive long-term growth and resilience.

    Trade in services, a critical but often underleveraged economic segment for small island developing states, tracks the cross-border exchange of service-based output ranging from transportation, hospitality and tourism to financial consulting, information technology support, and telecommunications. For many small open economies in the Caribbean, this sector holds untapped potential to diversify revenue streams, reduce reliance on traditional commodity exports, and create inclusive local jobs.

    The project was implemented in partnership with two United Nations agencies, the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), as a core component of the broader regional program: “Strengthening Capacity for Evidence-Based Policymaking and Economic Resilience in CARICOM.”

    According to an official statement released by the OECS, the primary barrier the initiative set out to address was a widespread lack of accurate, granular, and up-to-date data on services trade across participating member nations. These long-standing data gaps, the OECS explained, have prevented governments from fully expanding the services sector as a engine of economic diversification, leaving many countries overexposed to external economic shocks.

    A key outcome of the project is the rollout of UNCTAD’s Trade in Services Information System, known as TiSSTAT, a digital tool that equips national statistical agencies with the infrastructure to generate, compile, and analyze robust services trade statistics. With this new system in place, governments can now design more targeted, data-backed export strategies and strengthen their integration into global value chains, opening new opportunities for local service providers to access international markets.

    Beyond technical infrastructure for data collection, the project also delivered customized policy support to participating nations. This included comprehensive regional analysis of cross-cutting services trade trends, as well as tailored policy guidance aligned with each country’s unique economic priorities and structural challenges.

    Between March 11 and April 29 of 2026, in-person and regional training workshops were hosted across all beneficiary OECS member states, followed by a series of regional validation meetings in July to review initial findings. The initiative brought together a diverse range of stakeholders, including senior trade policymakers, technical officials from national trade ministries and central statistical offices, and representatives from the region’s private sector to ensure outcomes aligned with both public policy goals and private industry needs.

    Workshop discussions centered on several high-priority topics relevant to the region’s evolving economy. One key theme was the accelerating “servicification” of global manufacturing, a trend where information and communications technology (ICT) and other business services are increasingly integrated to add value to manufactured goods throughout the production, sales, and export process. Participants explored how Eastern Caribbean nations can capitalize on this trend to boost their own manufacturing competitiveness.

    Another focus area was the region’s fast-growing Cultural and Creative Ecosystem (CCE), with stakeholders examining persistent bottlenecks in informal and underdocumented creative value chains. Discussions centered on developing better systems to track intellectual property assets and expand commercialization opportunities for creative entrepreneurs in the digital economy. The initiative also prioritized inclusive economic growth, with TiSSTAT’s granular data functionality allowing countries to disaggregate trade statistics to more accurately measure and track the participation of women and young people in service-based economic activity, enabling more inclusive policy design.

    The initiative concluded with the formal endorsement of four country-specific strategic reports under the overarching title “How ICT and Business Services Can Support the Development of Creative Services and the Creative Economy in the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union.” The validated research findings from the project will serve as a critical evidence base to guide future trade policy reforms and advance inclusive, sustainable economic development across the region, OECS officials confirmed.

    Seven OECS Protocol Member States ultimately benefited from the project: Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

  • Puerto Plata’s Terminal del Norte Project could attract US$520 million investment

    Puerto Plata’s Terminal del Norte Project could attract US$520 million investment

    A transformative new multipurpose port initiative, Terminal del Norte, is being developed in Guzmancito, Maimón, Puerto Plata, with an initial investment commitment of over $520 million from private developer Pragma Capital. Designed to unlock the economic potential of the Dominican Republic’s northern coast, the project centers on expanding regional logistics capacity, drawing in global foreign direct investment, and generating thousands of local employment opportunities.

    Currently, the Terminal del Norte project remains in the pre-construction phase, undergoing mandatory environmental impact assessments and extensive community consultation rounds. Pragma Capital is still awaiting final regulatory permits and government authorizations before breaking ground on the facility, which is positioned to become a core infrastructure asset for the northern region.

    Unlike the Dominican Republic’s dominant southern port network, Terminal del Norte is purpose-built to handle a diverse range of maritime traffic, including general cargo, bulk agricultural goods, container shipping, and critical energy supply deliveries. Its strategic location in Puerto Plata streamlines goods movement across Puerto Plata, Santiago, and the broader Cibao region, eliminating the need for overland transport to southern ports and cutting long-term logistics costs for northern producers and businesses.

    The project is also tailored to strengthen Puerto Plata’s standing as a top global tourism and cruise destination. As the international cruise industry transitions to larger, more efficient vessels and lower-carbon alternative fuels, Terminal del Norte will offer convenient refueling services for cruise ships traversing the Eastern Caribbean, requiring minimal route deviations from standard itineraries. A key design feature separates cargo and logistics operations from tourist and coastal recreation zones, allowing the two sectors to grow in tandem without disrupting Puerto Plata’s tourism-focused local economy, while also upgrading the region’s marine energy infrastructure.

    When construction reaches its peak, Pragma Capital projects the initiative will create approximately 2,000 direct construction jobs. Once the terminal is fully operational, it will support hundreds of permanent on-site roles, alongside thousands of indirect employment opportunities across local transportation, hospitality, support services, and regional supply chains. To ensure local communities benefit long-term, the developer plans to launch a local employment registry for Maimón residents ahead of construction, paired with targeted technical training programs to help local workers qualify for skilled permanent positions. Pragma has also committed to establishing a permanent community working group, including representatives from local neighborhood associations, fishing collectives, the parish, and the Maimón Municipal District, to address resident concerns and maintain transparent ongoing coordination.

    Terminal del Norte aligns directly with the Dominican Republic’s National Goal 2036, a national development framework that prioritizes accelerated inclusive economic growth, expanded foreign investment, and increased productive opportunities across all regions of the country. For the Cibao Norte region specifically, the national development target calls for growing the region’s GDP from $20.122 billion to $51.466 billion by 2036, a goal that the port project is expected to meaningfully contribute to.

    Pragma Capital has already secured preliminary interest from multiple United States-based investors looking to participate in the project. The identities of these investors remain confidential under non-disclosure agreements, pending final government approval of the project’s permits.

    If approved and completed according to its current roadmap, Terminal del Norte is positioned to become a landmark logistics and energy infrastructure project for northern Dominican Republic, supporting expanded trade, broad-based job growth, and long-term resilience for the region’s critical cruise tourism sector.

  • Espaillat launches ecotourism plan to attract more visitors from Puerto Plata

    Espaillat launches ecotourism plan to attract more visitors from Puerto Plata

    In a landmark gathering of local government officials, business leaders and grassroots community representatives held in Jamao al Norte, the Espaillat Province Ecotourism Cluster has launched a bold new proposal to develop inclusive, sustainability-focused tourism across the province’s northern mountain range. The collaborative assembly concluded with a major institutional step forward: the formal establishment of a Provincial Tourism Board, a cross-sector body tasked with streamlining coordination between public and private tourism actors and expanding grassroots community involvement in every stage of regional tourism growth.

    Rooted in the work of the Dominican business association ADEPE, the Ecotourism Cluster positions sustainable ecotourism as a transformative new economic engine for Espaillat, moving beyond the region’s traditional economic activities to create shared, long-term prosperity. The cluster’s comprehensive development blueprint includes targeted investments to upgrade local access roads, expand conservation protections for critical montane forest ecosystems, bolster small-scale mountain agricultural operations, and unlock new market opportunities for local small and medium-sized entrepreneurs.

    Among the most ambitious projects unveiled at the meeting is the “Luminous Paths” initiative, an ecotourism circuit modeled after the world-famous Camino de pilgrimage routes in northern Spain. The project plans to repurpose existing rural footpaths and trails that currently link the municipalities of Jamao al Norte, Villa Trina and Gaspar Hernández into a welcoming, low-impact travel destination suited for multi-generational family groups.

    Meeting participants also prioritized infrastructure improvements to unlock cross-regional tourism growth. The Ecotourism Cluster issued a formal call for the Dominican central government to accelerate the long-delayed construction of a cross-river bridge over the Yásica River in Jamao al Norte. Once completed, the bridge will create a direct overland connection between Espaillat and the neighboring popular tourist province of Puerto Plata. Cluster leaders argue that improved connectivity will open the door to integrated multi-destination travel packages between the two provinces via the coastal town of Sosúa, drawing more international and cruise-based visitors to Espaillat’s mountain destinations.

    Expanding access to the fast-growing cruise tourism market emerged as a central topic of discussion during the gathering. Dorca Balcácer, a long-time leader of both ADEPE and the Ecotourism Cluster, called on the national Ministry of Tourism to add Espaillat’s natural and cultural attractions to the official shore excursions offered to cruise passengers disembarking in Puerto Plata.

    Cluster representatives emphasized that tighter integration between Puerto Plata’s established cruise sector and Espaillat’s emerging ecotourism offerings would help spread the economic benefits of cruise travel beyond Puerto Plata’s established resort zones, bringing much-needed income and job opportunities to rural communities in Espaillat that have historically been left out of tourism growth.

    Santiago Álvarez, executive director of the Strategic Development Plan of Espaillat Province (PEDEPE), echoed these priorities, underlining that connecting the region’s dispersed tourism attractions is key to unlocking long-term growth. Álvarez singled out the Amber Highway as a critical strategic infrastructure link that will support coordinated regional tourism development.

    Rosa Anllela Rivas, executive director of the Espaillat Province Ecotourism Cluster, emphasized that the newly created Provincial Tourism Board is designed to address longstanding coordination gaps between different stakeholders. Rivas noted the body will streamline initiative planning, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and center the needs and priorities of local communities in all regional tourism planning decisions moving forward.

  • Arajet announces direct Punta Cana–Montevideo flights starting in 2027

    Arajet announces direct Punta Cana–Montevideo flights starting in 2027

    In a landmark move that expands low-cost air connectivity across the Americas, Dominican Republic’s flag carrier Arajet has formalized a new partnership with Uruguay’s Carrasco International Airport to launch the first-ever direct air route between Punta Cana and Montevideo. The new service, which will mark the first non-stop air connection between the two countries, is scheduled to commence operations on March 3, 2027, with tickets already available for purchase to the public. The route will run three weekly rotations, with flights scheduled every Monday, Thursday and Saturday, operated using fuel-efficient Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.

    Matías Carluccio, Commercial Manager of Aeropuertos Uruguay, emphasized that the connectivity deal unlocks major benefits for Uruguayan travelers, who will gain seamless access to 29 existing Arajet destinations spread across North America, Central America and the Caribbean. Among the most popular connecting points for Uruguayan passengers will be high-demand leisure and business hubs including Cancún and Miami. Through the carrier’s existing gateways at both Santo Domingo and Punta Cana, passengers originating in Uruguay can tap into Arajet’s growing regional network, opening new avenues for cross-regional exchange.

    Industry analysts note the new route is expected to generate widespread long-term benefits, from boosting two-way tourism flows between Uruguay and the Caribbean to opening new avenues for cross-border commercial activity and deepening cultural connections across the Americas. The expansion also forms part of Arajet’s broader strategy to grow its footprint in South America, filling a long-standing gap in non-stop connectivity between the Southern Cone and the Caribbean region.

  • Scotiabank promises new ATMs amid Exuma cash access crisis

    Scotiabank promises new ATMs amid Exuma cash access crisis

    A growing crisis over restricted banking and cash access on the Bahamian island of Exuma has spurred Scotiabank to take emergency action, after a popular resort cut off public entry to its on-site ATM, worsening months of service failures for local residents and businesses.

    The trouble began long before the latest restriction, with two other Scotiabank ATMs across Exuma already out of commission for an extended period, leaving locals dependent on the machine located within the Sandals Emerald Bay resort. When the resort implemented new rules barring non-guest public access to the ATM, the already limited cash access options on the island collapsed entirely, triggering urgent pushback from local political leaders and community members.

    Days after Exuma and Ragged Island Member of Parliament Chester Cooper raised the alarm over the steady decline of banking services across the Bahamas’ Family Islands, and held direct talks with Scotiabank Chief Executive Roger Archer over the persistent ATM failures, the bank has released an official update on its response.

    Scotiabank confirmed this week that it has partnered with an undisclosed local telecommunications provider to deploy alternative ATM units across Exuma, to restore basic cash access for clients. In addition to rolling out new machines, the bank stated that it is actively negotiating with its partner at Sandals Emerald Bay to reach a mutually acceptable solution that would reopen access to the existing on-site ATM. The institution declined to share further details, including the identity of the telecom partner, the locations of the new alternative machines, or a timeline for when the new units will be operational for public use.

    Cooper’s intervention comes against a backdrop of growing regional concern over the gradual withdrawal of full-service commercial banking from smaller, outlying Family Islands, leaving local communities and small business owners reliant on just a handful of working cash machines to meet daily transaction needs. Local residents have reported significant disruptions to commerce and personal finance as the cash shortage has dragged on for months, with the latest resort restriction pushing the situation to a breaking point.

    In its statement, Scotiabank reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining convenient, reliable banking services across its national ATM network. “We regret any inconvenience caused to our clients in Exuma, and will continue to keep the public updated as progress is made on resolving this situation,” the bank said.

  • Groei Chinese economie onder druk door zwakke consumptie en investeringen

    Groei Chinese economie onder druk door zwakke consumptie en investeringen

    Fresh July economic indicators released by China confirm a broad-based weakening across key domestic segments, intensifying calls on Chinese policymakers to roll out targeted support measures to flagging domestic demand. Data published by China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows industrial output expanded 4.5% year-on-year in July, down from 5.3% growth in June and falling short of the 4.8% growth forecast by a poll of economists surveyed by Reuters.

    Consumer spending, one of the core pillars of domestic economic activity, also underperformed expectations. Retail sales, a key benchmark for household consumption, rose just 0.6% year-on-year in July, far below the 1.5% growth analysts had projected, indicating Chinese households continue to tighten spending amid broad economic uncertainty.

    Fixed asset investment, another major driver of Chinese economic growth, also extended its downward trend. Official figures released on Monday show fixed asset investment dropped 6.7% year-on-year in the first seven months of 2026, accelerating from a 5.7% decline recorded in the first half of the year.

    The persistent slump in China’s real estate sector remains one of the most pressing headwinds dragging on broader growth. New home prices edged down another 0.1% month-on-month in July, and are 3.2% lower than the same period last year. The ongoing weakness in the housing market has eroded household wealth and consumer confidence, creating a ripple effect that suppresses both private consumption and broader business investment across the economy.

    China’s annual economic growth already slowed to 4.3% in the second quarter of 2026, and the July data has reinforced growing concerns that the post-pandemic economic recovery lacks solid, broad-based support from domestic activity. On the bright side, export performance has remained relatively resilient. As Reuters reports, Chinese exporters are benefiting from surging global demand for technology products and infrastructure goods tied to the global expansion of artificial intelligence capacity, helping to offset some of the drag from weak domestic demand.

    However, this reliance on external demand carries significant long-term risks. Major trade partners have grown increasingly critical of China’s large trade surpluses and low-cost export goods, while ongoing international trade disputes and rising geopolitical tensions add layers of uncertainty to future export performance.

    In response to the slowdown, Chinese Premier Li Qiang has outlined a policy priority of stabilizing external demand while boosting domestic consumption and investment. According to Reuters, the Chinese government is planning targeted measures to support employment and household incomes, as well as to incentivize greater private sector investment.

    As the world’s second-largest economy and a top global importer of crude oil, metals and other core commodities, shifts in China’s economic trajectory are closely watched by policymakers and market participants around the world. A prolonged slowdown in Chinese industrial activity and consumer spending would dampen global aggregate demand, with ripple effects that impact global commodity prices and growth in other major economies.

    The July data underscores the significant policy challenge facing Beijing: while exports and select industrial segments still provide some support for growth, the domestic foundation of the Chinese economy remains vulnerable without a robust recovery in consumption, fixed investment and the troubled real estate sector.

  • Tax-Free Shopping Brings Relief, But Price Hike Claims Emerge

    Tax-Free Shopping Brings Relief, But Price Hike Claims Emerge

    As Belize prepares for the 2026 new academic year, authorities have rolled out a much-anticipated GST-free weekend for back-to-school goods, designed to ease financial pressure on working-class families across the country. While the initiative has been broadly praised for its smooth implementation and the financial breathing room it provides for households, it has also stirred controversy over alleged pre-promotion price hikes at some retailers, and underscored a long-running trend of Belizean shoppers heading across the western border for more affordable supplies.

    The first of two scheduled tax-free weekends took place on August 15 and 16, 2026, targeting school supplies, student apparel and laptops. Officials from Belize Tax Services report that the event operated without significant disruptions, with nearly full compliance from registered general sales tax vendors. Deputy Director Vilma Broaster told reporters that her department received almost no complaints about improper GST charges on qualifying goods, a sign that most retailers correctly implemented the tax exemption.

    However, the agency did receive a small number of reports that some businesses raised base prices on items during the promotion, effectively erasing the savings consumers were supposed to gain from the tax break. Broaster clarified that Belize Tax Services lacks direct regulatory authority over price setting, meaning the agency cannot investigate or penalize businesses for markup increases ahead of or during the tax-free period. She also reminded consumers that the GST exemption only applies to purchases from formally GST-registered vendors; informal street sellers and unregistered small businesses, including some vendors selling uniform materials and ready-made school uniforms, are not required to offer the tax break.

    Broaster added that the agency will receive initial sales data for laptops this week, which will allow officials to compare participation and consumer demand to the previous back-to-school tax-free event. She also noted that most core school supplies already carry zero or exempt GST status under existing rules; the recent initiative expanded the exemption to the smaller subset of back-to-school goods that were previously standard-rated, allowing families to save on those additional items. A second GST-free weekend for qualifying school goods and laptops is scheduled for August 29, giving shoppers who missed the first event another chance to claim savings.

    Beyond Belize’s domestic retail market, the tax-free weekend triggered a familiar annual pattern: a sharp spike in cross-border shopping at Belize’s western border with Guatemala. Data from Belize’s border management and immigration department shows that over the August 15-16 weekend, total passenger crossings at the western border reached 4,900, with roughly 1,760 of those travelers specifically on shopping excursions to the Guatemalan town of Melchor de Mencos. That accounts for 35% of all western border crossings over the two days, with the heaviest traffic recorded on Sunday, August 16, when 3,200 passengers – 66% of the weekend’s total western border volume – crossed. On that single day alone, 41 buses carried organized groups of shoppers to Melchor.

    Department Director Lawrence Thompson confirmed that the cross-border shopping surge is nothing new; similar spikes occur every year ahead of the school year and the Christmas holiday, as Belizean consumers seek lower prices on goods. Notably, no comparable rush was recorded at the northern Corozal border over the weekend, even though total passenger crossings there hit 5,800, slightly higher than the western border. Thompson explained that Melchor has remained the preferred cross-border destination for back-to-school bargain hunters, with little organized shopping traffic to northern border crossings this year.

    Thompson added that during peak shopping seasons in August and December, combined passenger crossings across Belize’s borders regularly exceed 10,000 travelers, with border management teams adjusting operations to handle the increased volume smoothly. The ongoing trend of cross-border shopping highlights that many Belizean families continue to look for every possible way to stretch tight back-to-school budgets, even when domestic tax breaks are offered.

  • 78 deelnemers Bernarddorp krijgen gratis vaktraining voor arbeidsmarkt

    78 deelnemers Bernarddorp krijgen gratis vaktraining voor arbeidsmarkt

    A new wave of inclusive economic empowerment has launched in Bernarddorp, where 78 local residents have started four fully government-subsidized vocational training programs designed to build new skills and boost long-term financial independence. The initiative kicked off Friday under the leadership of the Directorate of Welfare and Labor of the Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Labor, with the Stichting Arbeidsmobilisatie en Ontwikkeling (SAO) – the Foundation for Labor Mobilization and Development – tasked with delivering the training as part of the national Wroko Fu Mek Moni employment project.

    Over the course of four months, participants will receive hands-on instruction in four high-demand skill areas: textile crafts, residential electrical installation, agricultural and land-based services (GaWaSa), and basic digital literacy including Microsoft Windows, Word, and PowerPoint. All training sessions and required learning materials are provided completely free of charge to participants, with local organization Stichting Educatief Centrum Wit-Santi leading recruitment and outreach efforts to attract eligible residents.

    Speaking at the program’s opening ceremony, Deputy Minister Raj Jadnanansing emphasized that earning a completion certificate should not be the final goal for participants. Instead, he urged attendees to start planning early for how they will leverage their new skills to generate consistent income after graduation. Jadnanansing also encouraged participants to explore collaborative economic ventures, such as launching community cooperative businesses, noting that additional ministry teams will be on hand to provide dedicated support for entrepreneurship, cooperative development, and new business setup.

    SAO Director Joyce Lapar also announced that the organization is already developing a new specialized training course focused on the production of traditional Indigenous clothing. This upcoming program will serve a dual purpose: preserving endangered traditional craftsmanship and knowledge while tapping into the growing economic opportunities created by Para’s expanding tourism sector.

    The Wroko Fu Mek Moni project operates across the entire country, with a core focus on uplifting vulnerable groups within the working-age population. Beyond Bernarddorp, subsidized vocational training programs have already launched in Kwatta, with additional regions set to roll out their own cohorts in the coming months as part of the government’s broader push to reduce unemployment and expand inclusive economic growth.