Honorable Andre Perez

Several residents in the San Juan subdivision have voiced their discontent about the conditions of some of their streets. Some areas show flooded roadways, making driving or walking difficult. Those affected said they have contacted the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) for assistance to cope with the situation. They say they have not received any help while it continues to be a daily challenge for students and residents commuting.

The stone crab’s claws have become a delicacy in gourmet restaurants with increasing demand in areas such as Ambergris Caye off the northeast coast of Belize. A plate containing 1 1/2lb of cooked stone crab claws sells for up to US$42.50. The value of the overall industry, as per the Belize Fisheries Department (BFD), was around $125,000 for the local market. However, this number is expected to increase as exporting stone crab claws to other markets in the United States and the Caribbean starts.

Students in North Ambergris Caye will no longer struggle with transportation. For families living ten miles north of San Pedro Town, sending their children to schools in the downtown area has been especially difficult. Following an agreement between island businessman Walter Moreno and the local authorities (San Pedro Town Council), a solution has decided. The deal entails that Moreno’s company Elite Transfers, transports the students to and from their schools and, in return, is receives fuel assistance. Moreno is transporting 15 students from the northern community.

2021 was a little better than 2020 when the current COVID-19 pandemic began. The economy started picking up across the country, a new local government was elected, and the vaccination campaign against COVID-19 saw a good response in San Pedro Town. Major crimes were down, but one out of the three deaths by gun on the island sent shockwaves across the country and attracted international attention as it involved the former partner of Andrew Ashcroft and the death of Police Superintendent Henry Jemmott. The year also saw the successful opening of a shelter for victims of gender-based violence, and again, a spike in COVID-19 cases with new variants detected at the end of December. 

Today, September 9th, the Minister of Health and Wellness, the Honourable Michel Chebat, announced that a new measure would require every Belizean to present a vaccination card of present a negative COVID-19 before entering public government buildings, private establishments, and even schools. This initiative will be debated at Cabinet before going into effect on October 1st.

On Friday, August 6th, the mobile lands clinic in San Pedro Town hosted by the Department of Lands and Surveys concluded. Held at the Angel Nuñez Auditorium, the two-day event headed by Minister of Natural Resources Hon. Cordel Hyde and Area Representative Hon. Andre Perez assisted hundreds of residents, who had tried for years to sort out their land issues with no success. The initiative managed to purge a lot of irregularities. Although many walked out with a sense of accomplishment after clarifying their doubts, permission to purchase their property, and validation of their land titles, the job is far from over. Another mobile clinic will be needed in the future to continue addressing the remaining land problems in San Pedro. Still, before that takes place, the upcoming clinic will head to the sister island of Caye Caulker.

The latest update on COVID-19 in San Pedro Town indicates that cases are on the rise. Over the past days, the number of infected persons has significantly increased, and as of Monday, June 28th, reliable reports indicate 14 active cases on the island, with more to be confirmed. Some of the people testing positive for the virus work in the service industry (restaurants, water taxis, tour operators, gyms), while the rest are tourists.

The Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation is pleased to announce its achievements since November 2020. The Ministry has successfully commenced the establishment of a Policy and Planning Unit to guide the process of developing the Ministry’s five-year strategic plan. Additionally, the Ministry will develop policies to facilitate the implementation of the strategic plan.