San
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Thursday, August 13,
2009 Belize's Only Daily |
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Coast Guard salutes change of command
Cabinet confirmed that there
will be a change of command in the Belize National Coast Guard. In its
latest release, Cabinet confirmed that Admiral Cedric Borland will be
succeeded by another Borland—his vice commandant, Commander Johnnie
Borland. News Five caught up with the incoming commandant who says the
change is neither drastic nor immediate, but part of a succession plan
in the Coast Guard to develop the careers of senior officers. Since the
inception of the Coast Guard in 2005, Admiral Cedric Borland, who was
on retirement from commanding the Belize Defense Force, was contracted
to take control of the Coast Guard. The incoming Commandant says he is
privileged to be appointed the top spot.
Commander Johnnie Borland, Incoming Commandant, Nat’l Coast Guard “I think it is an honor and serious prestige to be given the responsibilities to command the coast guard. Yes, I will be the commandant and my new rank will be captain. I’m not a contract officer, I am a permanent establishment officer and I have fifteen years left to serve in the military. Whichever way it goes, I am not certain what would be the parameters to decide what will determine the next change of command.” Duane Moody “And I do believe the deputy would be Mr. Bennett?” Commander Johnnie Borland “Lieutenant Commander Bennett will be the new vice-Commandant.” Duane Moody “What can we expect with you in command?” Commander Johnnie Borland “Well obviously everybody have a different still of command and leadership. I intend to carry on with a number of the projects and initiatives that Admiral Borland has left behind—he was no doubt a very good commander. And of course there will be some changes that I will bring about because I see things differently—my training, my knowledge base, my education will influence the decisions that I make—of course for the betterment of the coast guard.” Commander Johnnie Borland and Vice Commandant Elton Bennett will officially take over the reigns at a transition ceremony on Friday at the Williamson Complex in Ladyville. CH5 Government to make
first Super Bond payment There are several issues of interest that
have come out of Tuesday’s
cabinet meeting. There will be a changing of the command of the Belize
National Coast Guard on Friday August fourteenth. And on that same
date, a ceremony for the groundbreaking and contract signing for the
phase-one reconstruction of the Marion Jones Sporting Complex will
occur on site. Seeing that Independence is little over a month away,
plans were discussed for hosting the Inaugural ceremony on the island
where Baymen and Africans, side by side, fought off Spaniard Invaders,
that is at St. George’s Caye on September first. Cabinet was updated on
a trade mission to Central America which was led by the Ministry of
Agriculture and Fisheries. The Belize mission met with counterparts in
El Salvador and Guatemala. But the most important issue of national
concern that was tabled was the Super Bond. The Super bond casts an
ominous shadow over the country’s economic future. Prime Minister Dean
Barrow spoke to News Five via phone today and discussed the twenty
three million dollar interest payment that the government must pay by
next week Thursday to service the one point one billion dollar Super
Bond.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow “The super bond is about one point one billion Belize dollars. We pay interest at the rate of four and a half percent. It steps up next year to about six percent. What that translates to is that we are currently paying around forty-six million Belize dollars annually to service the super bond next year. And with the increase in the rate of interest it goes up by ten million U.S., twenty million Belize to sixty-six million Belize dollars. And then in a couple of years thereafter, the interest rate steps up again to about eight percent. That will then mean of course an increase from the sixty-six million per year that we would start paying from next year to whatever that will translate to, but it will be another significant, maybe another ten million or so U.S. dollars per year more.” Jose Sanchez “For the year coming, is it possible that we can afford to pay this, is it in the budget?” Prime Minister Dean Barrow “Well, the budget for the current fiscal year included the payment of the super bond. That payment for the current fiscal year is due this week, either this or next and of course we are able to pay it. Next year it will be vastly more difficult because of the increase in the amount from forty-four to sixty-six million dollars and we will have to then raise additional revenue in order to be able to service the Super bond next year. The problem is that apart from the payments that you have to make until the maturity point is reached, when that maturity point is reached there is a big bullet payment as it is called. I don’t have the exact amount of the bullet payment but that is another whole story by itself. How are you going to be finding a bullet payment, which will of course be multiple times greater than the annual payments. How are you going to be able to find the money at that time is something that all of us must struggle to contemplate. But fortunately, that’s a ways off, I mean you’re looking at least the next ten years before you have before you have to think about the bullet payment.” Prime Minister Barrow says that assuming the bond continues to be serviced on schedule; payments will continue to be made until 2029.CH5 BOLEDO VENDORS
OBJECT TO PROPOSED CHANGES The
government of Belize will outsource the management of the
lotteries
committee and is in the process of reviewing tenders for the private
management of the lottery. While the Selection
of Tenders Panel, which
is the committee that will select the contactor, is its second round
reviewing the tender’s Boledo vendors are uneasy with the impending
changes to a business that is over 50 years old. Several Boledo vendors
are uncertain of how their livelihood will be affected. We spoke today
with chairperson of the Selection of Tenders Panel, Edmund Zuniga.
Edmund Zuniga: Chairperson, Selection of Tenders Panel “The government has placed an advertisement asking for tenders to manage the current lottery; that is the boledo, jackpot and the weekly lottery. The intent is to improve revenues coming to government from the lottery. The government has appointed a tender panel which I chairing and we have had about four meetings so far. We are looking at the conditions and we are establishing what it is that we would like advertise as well as ensuring that we are involved in selecting the tender that would be given the contract to manage the lottery on behalf of the government.” Manuela Ayuso Reporting With the new management of lottery the traditional paper lottery will be replaced by an electronic system. Edmund Zuniga: Chairperson, Selection of Tenders Panel “One of the things that we are looking at is to change the lottery from the current database to an electronic system. One of the reasons behind that is to allow the government to track how much lottery is being sold and of course coming out of that is going to be an improvement of the taxes that will be paid to government as a result of the sale of lottery.” Manuela Ayuso Reporting The government will make more money with the new system but it is still uncertain how the vendors across the country will be affected. Edmund Zuniga: Chairperson, Selection of Tenders Panel “Currently the government gets about one million dollars a year out of the sale of lottery books as well as the licenses issued to those who sell boledo, weekly lottery and the jackpot. One of the things that has been built into the tenders notice is that government would like to see a minimum of two million dollars in revenues from the new lottery’s management.” Manuela Ayuso Reporter Mr. Zuniga, with it going electronic, does this eliminate the vendors that now exist? In Orange Walk alone there are more than 50 vendors, what happens to them? Edmund Zuniga: Chairperson, Selection of Tenders Panel “We cannot say what exactly is going to happen. We have called for proposals from people who are interested the management. How we are going to actually manage the sales and who will be selling on their behalf has not come out yet. We have not gotten the tenders and what process they are going to be using so I am not going to be using. I am unable to say at this point in time how those small vendors will be affected.” Manuela Ayuso Reporting Boledo vendors in Orange Walk say they plan to organize and let their concerns be heard before the changes are made. LoveFM The Church’s
“Divine Mission To Teach”
When the Catholic School Management sent a
release out on Monday saying that it does not support the Teacher
Services Commission, the Ministry of Education’s response was that it
will be holding a meeting with the Bishops Association – an indication
that there was possibly still room for dialogue.
And while that meeting may indeed go ahead, the Ministry shouldn’t expect Catholic Bishop Dorrick Wright to differ with his school management. A release from the Bishop issued last night makes it clear that the teachers’ commission conflicts directly with the church’s mission – and when we say the church’s mission, the Bishop is referring to the one given by Christ himself to Peter and the rest of the apostles. That’s what the release refers to in explaining that, quote, “The church in Belize cannot surrender or abandon its mission to anyone, even to the duly constituted agents of the temporal order,” - for those not up on their catechism, “temporal order” means the government. The release makes it clear that the church has, quote: “(A) Divine mission to teach all men to the end of time.” And with that said, the Bishop concludes that, quote: “It is our most fervent desire that the smooth working relationship between church and state should continue...” And while the ending is gracious – the meaning is clear: things should continue as they are, have been and ever shall be...you know the rest. That’s a hard line for any politician to cross but judging form past performances, Education Minister Patrick Faber would be so bold. Regrettably we were unable to reach him for comment.CH7 LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Notices and letters wanted! Emaileditor@sanpedrodaily.com
THOUGHT
OF THE DAY
An honest man is always a child
Socrates
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