San
Pedro Daily  |
Tuesday, July 28,
2009 Belize's Only Daily |
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ISLAND
SUPERMARKET "Best Prices - Best Quality - Best Service" Phone: 501-226-2972 or 501-226-2973 FREE DELIVERY IN TOWN |
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Atlantic Bank
moves to renovated quarters  The Atlantic Bank kiosk at the Alijua
Building has been moved to the
former Atlantic Bank building across Barrier Reef Drive. The ATM
machine has also been moved to the larger space. The same services are
being offered to loyal customers, and the hours stay the same.
    San Pedro Sun PM talks about Venezuela grant money 
While other national issues have preoccupied
G.O.B., News Five sat
down with Prime Minister Dean Barrow, on a one on one, for an update of
matters that may have fallen off the radar temporarily. One of these
include the Venezuelan grant earmarked for housing projects. Barrow
told News Five the monies are being used for both repairs and
construction, and that the government is not playing politics with the
funds.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow “The country has been divided into zones and there are Committees to which the applications are sent and then those Committees approve those applications. There is still a residual function that the Ministry of Housing must discharge. So the Ministry of Housing will say fine, the Committee has approved these particular applications, we can begin to disburse the money, but on certain conditions. We want to see that you have provided the pictures that will document that your home is in a state of disrepair, that this money is not being funnelled to cronies and to partisans who do not actually deserve the money or who, worse, don’t even have a home that’s legitimately in need of repairs.” Marion Ali “It’s not set up in such a way that the Minister can play politics as to who get and who doesn’t?” Prime Minister Dean Barrow “No, because I believe that the decision as to who gets and who doesn’t get is made by the zone Committee. In other words, the Area Representative makes a decision but then he submits the applications to those committees and that’s where that determination is made. The Minister is more concerned about the oversight function after that decision has been made and the monies are then to be disbursed.” CH5 COMMISSION OF INQUIRY
GIVEN TERMS OF REFERENCE As was reported last week, the Commission of
Inquiry into allegations
of wrongdoing at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital will be chaired by
Justice Adolph Lucas. The members of the Commission are Julia Castillo
representing the Ministry of Health and Orvin Nicholas representing the
National Trade Union Congress of Belize. Prime Minister has signed a
statutory instrument laying out the terms of reference of the
commission. The Commission will investigate the procedure and processes
for the procurement of pharmaceuticals, medical and other supplies and
equipment at the Hospital during the period January 1, 2007 to June 30,
2009. It is tasked to determine among other things whether proper
procedures, practices and applicable rules and regulations were duly
observed in the procurement of such supplies and equipment and whether
all purchases were made transparently; to review and comment on the
independent audit report on the financial administration of the
Hospital during that time, to determine whether any improprieties,
irregularities or wrongdoings occurred in the procurement of such
supplies and whether there was any fraud, corruption, mismanagement,
waste or abuse in the procurement of medications and if so to identify
the persons responsible, if possible. The Commission is asked to hold
meetings with due urgency and expedition and to submit a full statement
of the proceeding to the Prime Minister. In the event the Commissioners
are unable to present a unanimous report, they must submit separate
reports with their own conclusions and recommendations. The inquiry
will be held in public. LoveFM
Cocaine smugglers who visited
the Jewel get locked up Two big players from Panama were found
guilty in a Federal Cocaine
Conspiracy case. And what makes their trial of interest to us, is that
the men were smuggling large quantities of cocaine from Belize. Dr.
Michael Reed, a successful surgeon who owns more than thirteen million
dollars worth of property, and Hector Melara, owner of AAA Limousine in
Panama City Beach, were indicted on charges of Conspiring to Possess
and Distribute Cocaine along with five other men involved in the
smuggling ring. The plans came about when Melara, Reed and a third
unidentified man, came to Belize on a cruise and met with a relative of
Melara’s who had access to large quantities of quality cocaine at low
prices. Since then, Melara’s relative in the Jewel supplied one
kilogram of the drug in February of this year and another kilo in May.
Reed and Melara were also working with Dario Espinosa, who is an
alleged drug smuggler by occupation, in Panama. But by May, Espinosa
was working along with government investigators and when Melara picked
up the cocaine from him and delivered it to Reed, their operation was
thwarted and the men were arrested later that day. They both pleaded
guilty and were sent off to prison last Thursday. CH5
LETTERS
TO THE EDITOR
Dear Editor and
hopefully Town Board:
Today for the second time, I asked one of the trash collectors to stop going through my trash before it is collected. I told him there is nothing he can use, I recycle everything, and opening the bags spreads disease. He said he was just making his job easier..by putting several people's trash from all of their barrels into one. I told him it doesn't make it easier, and actually he is handling our trash twice, not once. He refused to admit he was opening the garbage bags, but I saw it. There is a famous time management principle called OHIO... Only Handle It Once. I resent that my fastidiously bagged trash and regular-ly washed and sanitized trash can becomes the receptacle for others' messy garbage. It is worse once the sanitation worker opens all of the bags and sifts through it. Have you ever noticed before that there is more trash on your street the day you put out your garbage? This is why. When our sanitation workers sift through our trash some of it ends up on the ground. Please complain about this unsanitary and time/effort wasting process to our Town Board. Otherwise, why did we buy this upscale municipal garbage truck if it is just to be used like the open dump truck we had before? Please San Pedro, learn some new skills. G.A. Planned Power Outages Wednesday, July 29, 7:00 to 7:15 AM- Entire island " " , 2:45 to 3:00 PM " " Notices
and letters wanted!
Email editor@sanpedrodaily.com
THOUGHT
OF THE DAY
Nothing
happens unless first we dream
Carl Sandburg
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  www.grandcaribe.com debbiewade@gmail.com
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© SAN PEDRO DAILY, PO Box 45, San Pedro Town, Belize. Inquiries to editor@sanpedrodaily.com |
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