Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño says that, after the reinstatement of the full salaries of government workers, who had been subjected to a 10% pay cut, the reinstatement of the allowances that CEOs had been receiving before May 2020 is timely. Public officers beg to differ.

by Khaila Gentle

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Oct. 27, 2022

A leaked Government of Belize circular dated September 8, 2022, has revealed that, on July 1 of this year, approval was given for an increase in living and entertainment allowances from $750.00 to $1,500.00 monthly for chief executive officers in various Cabinet ministries. It is a revelation that has not been received well by much of the Belizean public, especially public officers whose salary increments are still frozen.

When asked about the matter and how such an increase in allowances can be justified, considering the current state of the country’s finances, Prime Minister Hon. John Briceño responded that the apparent increase is simply a reinstatement of the allowances that the CEOs had been receiving in May 2020, following a period during which their allowances had been reduced. The circular, sent by the Cabinet Secretary, Stuart Leslie, indicates that the reinstatement took effect on July 1, 2022—the same date on which the full salaries of public officers and teachers were reinstated, after those public workers had endured a 10% salary cut.

“Remember the CEOs, their allowances were cut. So what we’re doing basically is just giving them what they had before the pandemic,” said the Prime Minister, who, at first, refused to address the issue any further.

Throughout the course of this year, Belizeans have continued to lament the skyrocketing prices of goods and services as the country, like many parts of the world, continues to grapple with record levels of inflation. To many of those Belizeans, the increase in allowances may feel like a slap in the face. But according to Prime Minister Briceño, there is empirical evidence that shows that the country—including its people—is doing better than ever.

“If you look at the empirical evidence, more and more Belizeans are working. Right now the unemployment rate is at 9.2%. That’s the lowest rate in the past five years. The new labor survey is going to be out soon … and it seems that it shows that unemployment is going to go down even more,” he said.

The president of the Public Service Union, Dean Flowers, noted when he was interviewed by the media today that public officers are disappointed with the way they are treated by the Government in comparison to Cabinet CEOs.

“We’re talking about fifteen thousand public officers thereabout. So of course, any increment tied to that number would be substantially higher than the thirty-one or thirty CEOs who are receiving this benefit. However, what we’re saying is that when you have roughly 80-81% of public officers earning less than $31,000 a year and then you have thirty CEOs earning in excess of about 85 to 90 thousand dollars a year, there is absolutely no way you can justify that more needs to be given to them,” Flowers said.

The PSU president added that the Belizean public should, rightfully, be upset.

The United Democratic Party has also publicly denounced the increase in CEO allowances, noting in a press release that, while public health facilities are faced with a shortage of basic medical supplies and equipment, including gloves and gauze, CEOs are receiving a 100% increase in their allowances. In that release, the UDP calls the increase an act of disrespect toward public officers and toward the Belizean people.

“The party calls on the government to rescind this allowance increase and make funds available to reinstate the Public Officers’ increments and purchase medical supplies and medications which are in shortage at the public health facilities across the country,” stated the UDP.