G.O.B. Holds Second Round of Budget Consultation
John Briceño
Another round of budget consultation was held today in Belmopan with members of the Public Service Union. Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde, along with cabinet ministers Francis Fonseca and Henry Charles Usher, represented the government and were tasked with discussing the current financial state. The meeting’s purpose was to find common ground on developing a sustainable plan for economic recovery. Similar arrangements are scheduled this week with the Belize National Teachers Union, the National Trade Union Congress of Belize, and the Association of Public Service Senior Managers. A critical issue during the discussion is whether or not the government will institute a wage cut. But the unions are hesitant to agree because, according to the P.S.U., government ministers have yet to receive a ten percent salary cut as announced by Briceño many weeks ago. Today, the media asked PM Briceño about it.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Let’s see what the unions are going to tell us. If they come up with something better than a wage cut then of course we are prepared to look at it. The wage cut would be the last thing that we want to do but we will look at their recommendations and see what will be able to give us the quickest results starting the first of April.”
Reporter
“The P.S.U. said how can you expect us to agree to a wage freeze when the Briceño Administration is yet to fulfill their commitment of a ten percent cut of ministers. He said he got it on good grounds from the Ministry of Finance that he has the document to prove it that the ministers have yet to receive that ten percent salary cut that you announced.”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“As far as I am concerned, as far as I know we have gotten a pay cut. We made an announcement. We told the Financial Secretary and he is the one who should have instituted that then percent cut. So that’s petty of the PSU or that person who is saying that we have not gotten because if that is the case then they could have called me a long time ago and I would have called the Financial Secretary immediately. What I’ll do right now after this interview because it is the first time I am hearing about it I will call the financial secretary and ask if it has instituted because we have given the directive that we need, that we are going to take a salary cut of ten percent. So that is wrong.”
