G.O.B. to privatise post office, prison
The Government of Belize has confirmed today that the management of the post office, in addition to the Prison Department, will be privatised. The government is trying to conclude negotiations with the present Board of Governors and its chairman John Woods, who has expressed an interest to manage the institution. According to Minster of Housing and Urban Renewal, Dickie Bradley, it takes an estimated four million dollars to run the prison, excluding the cost of capital expenditure programmes.
Dickie Bradley
“In the case of the Prison Department, you’re looking at a situation, which would be similar to the municipal authorities. The Belize City Council, the San Pedro Town Council, they are given a subvention, this is your budget, you carry out your responsibilities under that budget. In this case of the Prisons, we know we are spending four million dollars, we know as in matter of fact as minister and former public officer, I know that there can be savings and improvements at the same time. Mr. John Woods, who is not a civil servant, who has a track record, is satisfied that they can take over and manage the Prison Department within a tighter budget. The government would then, having signed a management contract for a five year period, a three year period, whatever it is, would then in fact disburse that money to the managers of that department on a quarterly basis or whatever is agreed and then they would manage the Prison Department within that new budget.”
As for the Belize Post Office, Bradley says technological advancements in service delivery in other countries has convinced G.O.B. that in order to improve its overall product, the department must be privately managed. A regional expert has been visiting Belize and has already submitted his recommendations to the Minister.
Dickie Bradley
“In the case of the Post Office, a decision has not been made. The green light has only been given by Cabinet that we ought to explore the possibility of transferring the management of the postal services in Belize from public sector hands into private sector hands. That can go several ways, it can become a statutory body with the government still having a say in what is taking place on the day to day policy level, or it can go the full gamut of being put totally in the hands of a private corporation. Depending on what the experts advise us and what the figures finally tell us, and on the feeling of the wider community, because it is my understanding that we are charged with in fact touch base with the Chamber of Commerce, the Business Bureau, the wider community to what best we can do with the postal services, with a whole range of new services that can come in as well.
The Novelo’s Bus company, which already has responsibility for transporting inland mails throughout the country, has expressed an interest to privately manage the Belize Postal Office. Their offer is currently under review. Bradley also told News 5 that there are plans to improve efficiency at the Government Printery.
