5 MAR
23
THE BELIZE TIMES
2017
MY PERSPECTIVE By Dolores Balderamos Garcia
SERIOUS ABOUT CORRUPTION? Trevor St George Munroe is described as a Jamaican political scientist, labour activist and politician. I remember him as a lecturer in History at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus in the 1980's. He was well known for espousing Marxist teachings, and for spearheading both a trade union and a political party, the Workers Party of Jamaica. Later, he was an independent Senator, and then a Senator for the People's National Party. Now, at age 72, he is the Executive Director of a group called National Integrity Action. An opinion piece by him in the Gleaner newspaper earlier this month caught my eye. Its title is “If Government Is Serious About Corruption.” Naturally I read the article avidly, and I would like to refer extensively to it as we look at whether the Belizean Government is serious about corruption – serious about stopping it, that is!! Wrote Dr. Munroe about a Sunday Gleaner Editorial which he had just seen: “I share your surprise and concern that so little was made of corruption in last week's Throne Speech, and I call on the Prime Minister to repair this serious deficiency in his Budget Presentation, as well as in amending the Government's 2017-2018 legislative agenda to prioritise anti-corruption measures.” Dr. Munroe went on to say that several things needed to be done quickly if Jamaicans are to take seriously the Prime Minister's repeatedly stated resolve to more effectively combat corruption. He called for the merging of several institutions into one Integrity Commission as a matter of urgency, saying that the bill was still before the Senate for passage. He also called for the actual commencement of Acts on registration of political parties and campaign finance already passed. Pending of course is the naming of a date for those laws to come into effect. (Does this sound familiar? How long did it take us to get the thirteenth senator?) And thirdly, he called for the Government to keep its promise from the last fiscal year and bring on impeachment legislation to provide for impeachment proceedings to be brought against corrupt officials and parliamentarians.
This was promised, he said, as far back as 2011 by then Prime Minister Bruce Golding. Dr. Munroe also reminded his readers that they should be mindful of an assessment in Jamaica's National Security Policy Paper that the country's economy could be three to ten times larger had successive administrations more effectively combatted crime and corruption. (!!!) I have to wonder how many times larger Belize's economy could be if we had been fighting corruption effectively. Further, Dr. Munroe stated incisively that the man and woman and youth on the street need to be more aware that the absence of decent jobs, bad streets and roads, and overcrowded schools are but some of the consequences of pervasive corruption. Citizens, he said, must demand that Government act consistently and with the recognition that less corruption means more investment and jobs. How very true, and how appropriate for Belize as we at home look at what will be stated in the upcoming Budget. Yes, it will be a Hard Times More Taxes Budget, but are we Belizeans focusing as we should on all that needs to be done? I say that although the most recent incarnation of an Integrity Commission has been sworn in, it is completely unacceptable for the Chairperson thereof to suggest that the Commission may waive certain aspects of its mandate in going far back to look at what legislators ought to have filed from so long ago. The law is the law. Dr. Munroe urged Jamaicans to maintain the advocacy for more action against corruption. No doubt Belizeans need to do the same. Look at all the mess and tawdry revelations now being revealed during the Senate Inquiry into the Auditor General's Report. This alone should spur us to take strong stands and to place demands squarely to our Government. We are sick of corruption, and we insist that there must be more than merely a few feeble actions but at the same time plenty more lip service. There is so much more that has to be done if Government is to be held accountable and if it is to be demonstrated that there is seriousness about combatting corruption. Mek we tek a page from Trevor St George Munroe!!
NOTICE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC AND THOSE WITH INTEREST WITH PARCEL NO. 1866 Notice is hereby given that the Orange Walk Town Council will be demolishing the dilapidated building situated on parcel no. 1866 that is situated on Arthur Street directly in front of the Town Councils building and next to the Post Office. This is being done for the safety of the citizens of the Town since this building is infested with vermin and is being used at nights by drug users and is also being used as a bathroom; has become very unsafe, unhealthy and dangerous for our citizens. This building is thereby now being considered by the Council to be a nuisance to our Town and its citizens. This is being done with the authority vested to the Council under Chapter 40 of the Public Health Act Revised Edition 2000 Section 135 (b) of the Public Health Act that reads: (b) any dwelling or premises or part thereof which is or are of such construction or in such a state or so situated or so dirty or so verminous or so damp as to be likely to be injurious or dangerous to health or which is or are liable to favour the spread of any infectious disease. The Council hopes to get your full cooperation in the above mentioned notice.
NOTICE For Sale
By Order of the Mortgagee Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., a company duly registered under the Companies Act, Chapter 250 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition, 2000, and having its registered office at Cor. Albert and Bishop Streets, Belize City, Belize, hereby gives notice of its intention to exercise its power of sale as Mortgagee under a Deed of Mortgage made the 31st day of August 1999, between MIGUEL TZIB of San Antonio Village, Cayo District (hereinafter called “the Borrower”) of the one part and THE BANK OF NOVA SCOTIA (hereinafter called “the Mortgagee”) of the other part, and recorded in Deeds Book Volume 28 of 1999 at Folios 797- 822, the said Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd. will at the expiration of two months from the date of the first publication of this notice sell the property described in the schedule hereto. All offers to purchase the said property must be made in writing and full particulars and conditions of sale may be obtained from the said Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd. SCHEDULE ALL THAT LEASEHOLD INTEREST IN ALL THAT piece or parcel of land being Lot No. 51 situate in San Antonio Village, Cayo District, and bounded as follows: On the Northeast for a distance of approximately 113 feet to a concrete pillar; On the Southeast by a road and a lot for Modesto Gutierrez; On the Southwest by a road and a lot of Feliz Tzib; On the Northwest by a lot now or formerly belonging to Feliz Tzib containing approximately 1666 square yards as can be found on Tracing 89 being a Field Plan of San Antonio Village in which same can be seen at the office of the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys TOGETHER with all building and erections standing and being thereon. DATED this 9th day of February, 2017. MUSA & BALDERAMOS LLP 91 North Front Street Belize City Attorneys-at-Law for Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd.