Belize Ambulence system are simply taxis without equipment or paramedics!

* This is one of the better ones. We have some very small narrow ones as well in the Western Government Hospital.


BELIZE AMBULANCES LACKING IN PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT

A recent newspaper article of an accident scene on the Northern Highway, in which 5 USA visiting registered nurses gave assistance, revealed that Belize Ambulances were nothing more than taxi vans. This came as a shock to Belizean readers around the country. It was apparent, there were no defibrillators, I.V bags, or trained paramedics involved with Belizean ambulances.
Unlike what we see on foreign television movies, the ambulances in Belize are typical of our medical system. They are just for carrying freight, an injured person, trying to find a doctor in the nearest hospital around the country. Usually KMH over in the port of Belize City. The government cash shortage is hurting us modernize. Even the hospitals do not have enough doctors. There has always been a shortage of nurses, but doctors as well? If it was not for the CUBAN MEDICAL ASSISTANCE personnel, we would practically have no medical system at all in the country of Belize. Something to think about! No sense with wishful thinking, we have what we can afford and that is the end of it.

Belize Villages to consolidate many small schools in the community!

* Belize school children
* Another village school in Belize
* village school classroom

* Village school in Belize



BELIZE CHURCH / STATE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS REVIEWED

Most of the schools in Belize at the lower primary school level are doing badly. They are for the most part religious schools of one kind or another. Inasmuch as they were supposedly started by foreign religious missions to bring educational services to remoter Belizean communities and served a purpose, they were tolerated. Over the years such schools have morphed into public schools, with a religious bias and have evolved into being financially supported by the local central Government to the tune of 80% and greater sometimes, of their operating costs. In the review it is desired that international missions of religious bent creating and doing schools in Belize should morph back to the responsibility of the foreign donors and operators. Financing is always a problem, but in Belize with declining financial resources and a PUP inherited national debt burden currently being exacerbated by the new UDP government, the ability to financially assist religious schools is declining rapidly in capability. The review is indicating that home religious missions in foreign countries, operating schools in Belize should be prepared to take back their financial responsibilities. As a country we can no longer afford them. Nor is the education being given adequate, as the statistics show. Somehow the Government has to cut costs and consolidating many individual religious schools in small communities into a more larger centralized unit school that is not religious ruled, seems to be the current thinking. The problem is; that there is much duplication in administrative, maintainance and salaries for many small schools being financed 80% by the government, that could more efficiently be done through consolidating schools into one unit, particularly in smaller communities. Religious schools are seeing the writing on the wall, in that they must re-invigorate their home foreign church missions to carry the financial burden if they wish to continue in Belize. The government longer range plans look to be consolidation in communities with too many schools based on different competitive religions, to get the cost efficiencies of one administrative, maintainance, and teacher base in the smaller communities. This has been a long time coming and long overdue.

Western Belize,TWIN TOWNS bridge subject of loan proposal

* This is the best piece of road in Southern Belize, and an extension is needed to join through the Guatemalan border in high rain forest ( 300 inches a year ) to facilitate commercial connections for truckers and the economy to the very excellent Central American highway systems.

* This is the wood low bridge built once as a temporary measure long, long, ago that is falling apart. It is one way traffic and huge 18 wheeler freight conveys cross the river here on this thing. It is falling apart though.



MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF BELIZE PREPARES PROPOSALS!

Among the latest news out of the capital is a notice that the Ministry of Economic Development is preparing proposals. One of concern locally; is a $10 million USA to the Central American Bank for Economic Integration ( CABEI ) to build a bridge across the Macal River in the TWIN TOWNS, to facilitate the many heavy truck and semi trailer traffic in the growing freight loads going and coming from the Belize coast and Guatemala. The current temporary wooden bridge is in a sad state of disrepair and long overdue to be replaced.
A second proposal is for a loan to do the road between the DUMP and BIG FALLS to JALACTE short of the Guatemala border in the TOLEDO SOUTH district, to enable truck traffic eventually to join the Central American highway network, through the southern area of the country, eliminating nearly 300 miles of driving for some kinds of freight cargo heading to places like Salvador and Honduras. This will also build Central American tourism arrivals. There are millions of people as a tourist source in Central American countries. All these countries are much richer than poor Belize. Nor is the tourist season the traditional Northern latitudes winter time. Thus broadening the scope of tourism as an income earner in Belize, more year round.

BELIZE FORCED TO SIGN TAX SHARING WITH G-7

* Typical G 7 conference figuring ways to force third world countries out of their market share, with their rules and agreements they force on us smaller countries, who cannot fight back.



BELIZE PASSES AN INCOME TAX SHARING INFORMATION LAW FORCED BY G 20 COUNTRIES

The idea of secret numbered accounts is now over in Belize. The International Financial Sector is a fair sized segment of the countries diversified economy. The major G 7 countries in particular are trying to squeeze small countries like Belize out of the financial services business. Unfortunately, the G 7 countries control the wire transfer system and exchange settlement systems and threaten to cut us off entirely unless we comply. Other attacks and restrictions are expected to flow at us in Belize eventually, as the competition for market share in financial services intensifies worldwide.
Offshore financial services do more than have secret accounts. So all is not lost. 99% of the money laundering in the world is done by the USA, England and Switzerland. Other attractions to investors are ZERO tax rates, different legal jurisdictions for importing exporting documentations, or for incorporation in the global economy.
There are 45 countries with financial services in the offshore markets. In the Caribbean, there are 14 countries that count this as part of their economy. In Central America there are also 3 countries. Belize is only one of these.
In Belize, the last review showed 66 companies licensed to provide international company services. 36 companies provide trustee services, 5 companies do Mutual Funds, 3 companies provide Asset Protection and management services of different kinds. 6 companies are licensed to trade in international securities, 3 companies offer international money lending, and 3 companies offering brokerage for international services, or advisory and consultancy services. All of these companies pay annual license fees in Belize and must have a registered office here.
Hundreds of Belizeans are employed in this financial services sector of Belize. There are also 6 licensed International Banks, with total assets of around $250 million USA dollars.
Belize has moved from a TAX HAVEN status with this new law, to a Financial Service Sector type industry. Not counted in this review are a dozen or more individuals who operate in Singapore, London, New York and Chicago, or Toronto and Vancouver with registered businesses in these countries and addresses, paying their taxes in these countries where they operate, but actually live in Belize in semi-retirement, conducting their business out of their brains using the laptop through the internet. Most of these are gambling in stocks, bonds, commodities, futures and such instruments on various international exchanges. Their business may be registered in other countries but living here, their skill and knowledge is stored in their brains and goes where ever they go and can get an internet connection.

USA OIL interests in Venezuela are going KAPUT fast.

VENEZUELA VERSUS THE USA AND THE OIL QUESTION

How badly does OIL supply effect the situation with Emperor Chavez of ALBA and Venezuela. People took him for a buffoon and clown, but he is outsmarting many more intelligent leaders, while hoodwinking them with his clown acts. ALBA is growing, now 11 countries and Chavez is re-arming Venezuela to back up his ALBA President for Life, fellow communists.
His social spending within Venezuela has helped the poor and the economy a lot. The trouble is, he is serious about copying Cuba and becoming a COMMUNIST state. If he would run his country as dictator and let the situation stand as is, maintaining a rough status quo, it is doubtful anybody would mind. Recent growing events prove this analysis to be wrong. The guy has a bee in his bonnet and he is going to be a dictator on the style of the CASTRO Brothers in Cuba and wants all his ALBA Federation to be the same. The guy is serious and nobody has to date taken him seriously. Now he is re-arming and the deceit and undercover tactics have stood him well in implementing communism as a governing model. Eventually the poor will suffer of course in all ALBA countries and particularly in Venezuela. They just don't know it yet and lack the historical education to figure it out. Millions will die if this continues and WAR is inevitable, albeit it will be covert dirty war, not the classic model beloved of USA military generals. This warfare is going to be silent and dirty and very rough. The type of war the BRITISH SAS were good at, or perhaps the Special Units in Vietnam.
At any rate, what about OIL? For the USA only the OIL is the question. Venezuelan oil represents 11% of USA imports. This also is 60% of Venezuelan income. The BUFFOON though is now shipping to the other side of the PACIFIC. There is a bit of a problem with finding refineries to do his style of crude, but that is likely to rapidly change. The USA is going to lose their oil from Venezuela eventually if CHAVEZ continues. Will they do anything about it is the question? Venezuelan oil reserves are in the top TEN of the World. The ORINICO basin reserves are as of yet untouched. Shared with Colombia. CITGO the Venezuelan oil company uses about 860,000 barrels a day for the 11% of the USA market. Chavez is going to cut the USA off eventually as fast as he can and his plans are well laid out, and long term. They are probably going to succeed, because the USA have never taken him seriously. With the recent Honduras debacle and re-arming his military in quick reaction groups, the ability to effect the countries of the American continent and destablize the whole region is increasing every day. We are in for a real messy next 20 years it looks like around here in the Americas.

BELIZE NEEDS TO REVISIT THE HOSPITAL SERVICE PLAN FOR A GROWING POPULATION.

* 100 year old Western Belize Government Hospital in San Ignacio.



UDP NEED TO RETHINK THE MEDICAL PLANS FOR THE TWIN TOWNS AREA?

If Wednesday was a typical day, the EMERGENCY ROOM was full to overflowing on Wednesday at the 100 year old Government Hospital in San Ignacio. People coming in all day, from chopped legs, to deathlike emphysema, flu and fevers, you name it. It was a busy, busy, busy day at the old wooden hospital in San Ignacio Town. They are building a new POLYCLINIC, but anything serious is supposed to go to Belmopan in the planned new system. The POLYCLINIC is only for first aid. A referral place if they can't handle it. No beds will be there to treat patients.
Well on Wednesday, with one frazzled doctor working a 14 hour day and a couple of nurses, the EMERGENCY ROOM tried to cope. Two patients were dying. An internal operation on one was necessary immediately, yet all three beds in the emergency room were busy and two more sitting around anxiously in need of serious help, another person having a spontaneous abortion, all at the same time. It wasn't INDIA, or CHINA, but just a busy day in the TWIN TOWNS government hospital, that serves an out district population, half of the size of ALL of Belize. The really dying patient, was supposed to go by ambulance to Belmopan, but in a phone call, they had no surgeon. So a call to KMH said they must send the person there. A little over a 2 hour van ride, when to the dying patient TIME was critical. Never heard if the patient made it alive or not though? No time to do a follow up. An immediate operation was necessary and it wasn't available either in the TWIN TOWNS, or in Belmopan. The facilities didn't exist.
Staff of the Government Hospital out West here, say they need more beds and they need a regular hospital to serve the estimated 80,000 to 130,000 population throughout the many towns and villages of Western Belize. It almost seems ludicrous not to have a full fledged hospital capable of doing operations. Money is short of course, so from a financial point of view, maybe the politicians have it right. Send everybody to KMH down on the coast a couple of hours drive away. If the patient lives that long? If not, just the luck of the draw. TOO BAD for you!
People are going to die of course, and as the growing population out here in Western Belize overtakes that of the port town in size, the question of where a CENTRAL HOSPITAL should be located, because of scarce money, perhaps should be revisited? The system we have is not working. The solution of the new PLAN with DISTRICT POLYCLINICS is not going to work either, that is obvious from Wednesday. At least in the case of Western Belize heavily populated, with many rapidly growing towns, not counting villages and industrial and agriculture HEARTLAND, versus the KMH down serving the port town on the coast. Just one small town.
Compromises must be reached of course. Mostly it is not that one would not want to serve the population centers, but it is about available money. Difficult choices! What I can say from a Western Belize perspective, is that the TWIN TOWNS need a real hospital, with a surgical room for operations and wards with beds. Treating this size population out here like an outpatient clinic is no longer cutting it. The population is growing too fast and the towns are swelling with population also. We need better and we deserve better. The question is how to get it? THAT of course is why we elect politicians.

WILLTHE UDP IN BELIZE PLEASE WORK?

* Belize is that country on the upper right hand side of the map.
* CLARO telecommunications serving Guatemala ( and Belize? )


WHEN WILL BELIZE CABINET INVITE CLARO, or TIGO of Guatemala Telecommunications to run internet and telephone service into Belize as far as Belmopan in telecommunications competition?

One of the more puzzling happenings, or lack of happenings with the UDP Cabinet is their telecommunications for development policy, or more likely LACK THEREOF. Tuesday this week and Monday, the television on one channel was running an ad for the Public Service Commission, condemning the practice of border people using Guatemalan cell phones and internet and television. I wasn’t sure of what the point in the advertisement was? Isn’t the PUC supposed to be encouraging DEVELOPMENT of BELIZE?
It has been obvious for umpteen years ( more than 20 years ) that BTL the inheritor of the old British Honduras system is not interested in serving or developing telecommunications in Belize for economic growth. Despite 15 years and more of tax write offs in the millions of dollars in profits, there has been no progress in developing the telecommunications industry in Belize. The BTL staff are quite proud of the fact that BTL is a FOR PROFIT company. Profit is obviously keeping capital investment low, using the cheapest technology, and catering only to population density concentrations, with the most rewarding pay per minute systems of cell phones. ( eating the icing on the cake , while choking off competition ) The records each year show that BTL in particular and then there is SMART allegedly a competitor, or subsidiary, or something, are taking out $30 to $60 million a year in profits in telecommunications and that their whole thing is profit and the quickest way to the bottom line and to hell with what Belize needs. Nobody blames them for that.
What is the puzzle is the PUC? Why give a television ad slanted at a dozen or so people using Guatemalan service from over the border, where the signal is strong enough? It seems out of character for a government institution supposedly for developing Belize to be concerned about this. Are not the PUC for economic development, through the best way and competition? On the other hand, there is often no logic in politics, except who gets rich as in under the table bribes. What is going on here doesn’t look right, nor does it smell right.
So I investigated a bit to see what the public on the streets had to say in the TWIN TOWNS. It seems you can get TIGO a telecommunications company from Salvador operating in Guatemala, to give you internet service for $18 usa per month over on the border by Melchor. The speed is limited at 500 k. Which I believe is faster than the regular local BTL service, if you can get it. We can’t get BTL here in Santa Elena Town and we are 2 miles from the BTL office and about ¾ of a mile from their antenna tower. Not for cell phone, nor for internet service. I did hear that you cannot get the BTL signal very well, over in San Jose Succotz,, so the border town of Benque Viejo much further away, must get even worse telecommunications service from BTL and probably nothing at all from SMART? No wonder they are using Guatemalan telecommunications, as the excellent service in Guatemala is only 2 miles away from them. We have been complaining about this for 16 years that I know of, to deaf ears here in Belize, both to our different governments and BTL. A lot of people are talking about moving to Benque with their businesses and homes to get the advantage of superior technological service.
CLARO telecommunications goes one better. I’m not sure if this is a Guatemalan company in Guatemala, but they have something called TURBO NET, a very high speed rated at 2.2 gigabytes I’ve been told. Which means a web page will change on you, faster than your eyes can blink. This costs $50 usa a month. I’m told you can get Guatemalan telecommunications telephone service to the edge of the hill in San Ignacio Town, up to the area of the TEXACO station there on the top of the hill. Oh to have a repeater, what a joy that would be!
As I understand it, you have to have a relative in Guatemala and it can be anywhere. In Flores, Coban, anyplace served by telecommunications and buy a modem in the relatives name and you just plug it into your computer at the USB port. Not sure how the cell phone business works, but calling the USA is around 3 cents USA a minute, or something like that? I think they have phone cards too, but with much better service than here in Belize, which is very bad service indeed.
What seems to have happened from the PUC advertisement, is that now we have a whole lot of people from the TWIN TOWNS and down to BELMOPAN, on the southern end of the INDUSTRIAL HEARTLAND OF BELIZE, trying to figure out how to get GUATEMALAN internet and telephone service in Belize. The idea had only been a rumor before. The PUC tv ad, got everybody curious and people are madder than hell, we are still being short changed and taken advantage of in Belize. We are not mad so much at BTL, a for profit company working on the least spent, to gain a guaranteed $60 million a year in profits as their mission goal, to take out of the country, each year; but angrier than KILLER BEES at our Belize UDP Government for not doing something about building and developing our country. Obviously it should be CABINET POLICY to invite both CLARO and TIGO in Guatemala to extend their service from the border town of Melchor down to BELMOPAN, in competition with everybody already in Belize. A short run of 25 miles, but covering half the population of the nation. That may be the logical thing to do, asking the UDP government to put the nation first, but we have a lawyer for Prime Minister and his convoluted political lawyer brain doesn’t work logically. So no one knows why he does the things he does, that defy common sense.
Then what the heck, this Cabinet cannot even get bus service to the frontier in the WEST yet, even in this short SUMMER TOURIST HIGH SEASON, after being pre- warned the past two months? Nor designate a CUSTOMS FREE ZONE for business development manufacturing., between the border and Benque town, the 2 ½ mile stretch.
This government do a lot of court cases and talk a heck of a lot about amendments to the Constitution and legal bills beloved of the law fraternity, but not much apparently logical about building , or developing Belize. There seems a shortage of ideas and when they are given ideas, the ACTION part is sadly lacking, as the myopic vision of legalities seems to cloud ALL ISSUES to do with development of Belize. If 10% of the effort spent on legal stuff, was spent on infra-structure development issues, the nation would be much further ahead. I think the Education Minister, Patrick Faber should be given the transportation and telecommunications portfolios and let us see what HE can do for the country? His work in education is forward looking development wise. Lets see if he can get CLARO and TIGO to come into Belize as far as Belmopan. BTL and SMART can’t do it, then bring in some bigger players for telecommunications and stir up the competition level, to serve the nation better. Just my two cents in creating a development debate. What the PUC is doing on TV, is counter productive to what the CABINET should be doing. How much were they bribed to do that one can only wonder?