The Belize Bureau of Standards has announced that the price of cooking gas, also known as LPG or "Butane", is going up.
The price in urban areas is moving from 99 dollars for a 100-pound gas tank to 103 dollars. In rural areas, it's going up form $101 dollars for a 100-pound gas tank. With today's change, they can sell you LPG at the new price of $105 for a 100-pound tank.
This evening, we spoke with Jose Trejo, the Controller of Supplies at the Bureau of Standards, about the need for this price increase. Here's what he told us via telephone:
The last price change for this fuel was implemented on October 7th. This new price change takes effect today, December 11th.
Where Are The Consumer Savings
But as we showed earlier this week, the National Gas Company invited 7News to take a closer look at how they have secured the country's LPG needs with their 60-million dollar investment.
And, like any wary customer who has caught on to previous consumer abuses that occurred in this industry, we asked the importers to explain why it is that the price of LPG you pay is still so high. They say that they have stabilized the industry, to the point where they get cooking gas shipped directly to Belize over a distance of 1,000 miles from the US Gulf Coast.
So, we asked why it is that you the consumer, aren't getting big savings from the regularisation of this industry. Here's how the NGC spokesperson answered that question last Friday:
The price that they will be allowed to charge the retail companies is $2.93 per gallon, or a little bit less than $66 for a 100-pound gas tank. That price includes shipping costs, all taxes, and their mark-up to recoup the 60 million dollar investment that was used to build their operation.
GOB Has Some LPG Negotiation to Do
This evening, we asked Jose Trejo, the Controller of Supplies at the Bureau of standards about the additional $1.77 and $1.87 per gallon that urban and rural customers have to pay to the local butane companies.
That extra expense is a bigger cause for concern when you look at the price that local retailers are selling customers for a 100-pound cylinder tank. They get it for $37 and $39 less than they are selling to you the consumer, and they only have to move the product a few miles to your house.
Today, Jose Trejo told us via telephone that if you want that price to go down, especially in this COVID-induce financial crisis, the new government has to negotiate that decrease with the local retailers. Here's that conversation from this evening:
Belize Joins 174 Countries At Level 4
Last week, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention declared Belize at a level 4 or very high risk for COVID-19.
But before you surrender all hopes for a 2021 tourism resurgence the U.S. Charge" wants you to know that the warning isn't necessarily as dire as it sounds.
Belize is in fact only one of 174 countries that have recently received this designation. It's a reflection of the prevalence of the disease over the last 28 days but it also factors in hospital capacity. Still, the Embassy says Belize isn't being singled out and today when I spoke to Charge d' affairs Keith Gilges via zoom he told me that the level 4 tag is just a means of disseminating information and not necessarily a judgment.
Reporter
"We know that the center for disease and control and prevention has issued a level 4 warning for Belize and this denotes a very high level of Covid19. What's the protocol for declaring that type of level and living in Belize as you do, do you feel that its justified?"
Keith Gilges, Charge Daffaires
"The CDC system is specific to health and back in late November they change their system from a 3-tier system of low-medium-high to low-medium-high- very high and level 4 said very high health risks. On December 2nd, that almost every country I think except one was changed that was on the level 3 list moved to the level 4 list. At this point I believe globally there are 174 countries in the very high list. So what I want to be clear is its not Belize being singled out for particular thing, its in fact looking at the nature of Covid in all the countries they are looking at. They say what is the prevalence rate over the last 28 days and what is hospital capacity look like and if you are seeing negative rates and you are seeing hospitals at capacity or overwhelmed, that's kind of where we are at this point in Belize, then yeah this point they have moved Belize and a lot of other countries to this level 4 stage. The last thing I note, let's be pretty clear, while the CDC doesn't compile this list for the United States, because it's not a foreign travel destination, its domestic for us, the US would be level 4 too."
One Caribbean country that is not at Level 4 is Saint Lucia, they currently have no Covid cases and so remain at a level 3.
Ed Minister on CXC Worries
Yesterday we brought you the pleas from St Catherine's Academy's principal on behalf of the students who are ill-prepared for this school year's CXC Exams.
Despite this, the Ministry of Education is pushing forward, and will soon be setting deadlines for fourth formers who will sit the exams in the summer. Minister Francis Fonseca told us more.
The Ministry will be bearing the cost of three exams for each student, rather than the usual six.
Peter Claver Parish Priest Tells School Buy-Bye
There is an important development that has occurred in Saint Peter Claver Parish in the Toledo District. An internal dispute that landed in the court has concluded. And a Parish spokesperson had a small news update about it in a Facebook broadcast, which was published yesterday. Here's what Father Matt had to say on the topic:
Kurly, Legend Status
The artist Pupa Kurly has been a trailblazer in Belizean reggae and dancehall music since the late 80's - so he already has legend status.
And more than three decades later, Kurly is still producing on the frontline where music meets message.
And he's celebrating his legacy as a story teller and an elder with the release of his new album called "Griot".
Via ZOOM, he told us what makes the album relevant, and fun:
Kurly's new Album, Griot, is now available on all the major streaming platforms, such as iTunes and Spotify.
