BELIZE CITY, Tues. Feb. 22, 2022– The Prime Minister of Belize and a team of financial advisors met with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this week and received positive feedback on the improvement of the country’s economy over the past year. But even in the face of those glowing reviews, there is still some uncertainty as to when and how the government will effect a restitution of the full salaries of the public officers in the country, who are still enduring a 10% wage cut and increment freeze. According to Prime Minister Briceño, Belize’s public officers had a large role to play in what was accomplished in the past twelve months, and he indicated that discussions regarding the 10% salary cuts, which currently remain in place, are underway.

“Nobody expected our government to be able to accomplish what we did in one year. And as I told them [The IMF], it is not only our work … but it also included our public officers. They went through tremendous sacrifices to help us to get to where we are. Now, when it comes to the ten percent, today as we speak, the DPM and Minister of Education, I think also Minister Usher, is meeting with the unions to discuss the ten percent,” the Prime Minister told local reporters.

“How will we give them the full ten percent? We don’t know. That’s what we’re discussing with them, and we feel that we’ll be able to come up with a compromise that everybody can live with,” he added.

The PM noted proudly that the IMF team leader expressed to him that he had never seen any country accomplish what the current administration has in turning an economy around in such a short period. But despite what the numbers have been saying, Hon. Briceño said he told the IMF that the Government also has a social responsibility to its people and that responsibility includes finding a way forward in regards to the salary cuts. Earlier in the week, Public Service Union president Dean Flowers told local media that currently the IMF is not in favor of the reinstatement of full salaries for public workers (or unfreezing increments) and has instead recommended gradual restitution of those salaries. This Thursday, however, the Joint Unions Negotiating Team met with government representatives at the House of Culture in Belize City to discuss the possibility of a salary reinstatement.

The PSU president told local reporters that, while he cannot say much at present, the meeting—which focused on government finances and Belize’s fiscal position—was “informed and detailed”. The team plans to speak with the members of the unions and inform them of the Government’s decision coming out of the meeting, after which they will be able to speak more on the matter to the media. Flowers did point out, however, that the current administration—as well as the previous one—has never quite felt obligated to follow the IMF’s recommendations. He also noted that the discussions with the government are ongoing, and it is unlikely that this Thursday’s meeting will be the last.

“I believe it is fair to say that this is a process that will continue throughout the term of this administration, because this is not a one-time issue whereby you can fix the many issues that brought us here. What we are appreciative of is that the government also conceded to that—that there is not another meeting or two meetings that we need to have; we need to continue the dialogue about partnership, cooperation, and more importantly, us continuing to be watchdogs over the government in terms of ensuring that they commit and carry out the policies and decisions that they have committed to undertake,” Flowers said.