Pension Plan for Retiring G.G.

The poor treatment the late Doctor Dame Minita Gordon received upon retiring from her post as Belize’s first Governor General in 1993 left a lot to be desired for such a distinguished office.  In an effort to prevent a recurrence, Prime Minister Briceño will be returning to parliament in the weeks ahead to amend the existing legislation that regulates the office of the Governor General.  The amendment is in respect of the monies paid for the work of the G.G. and will be done retroactively to provide better coverage for Sir Colville Young as he enters retirement.

John Briceño

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I think that we have been doing a disservice to our Governor General and it was even worse with the first Governor General in Belize, the way that she was treated.  I will be coming to the House, in the next House meeting, and I will be making some amendments to the Governor General’s Act to deal with the remuneration, ensuring that the Governor General has access to health insurance, to improve its salary a little bit more. Despite the situation we have presently and we will do this retroactively so that the present Governor General will have a little bit better of a pension that he would get, as opposed to what he would get with the present act that governs his salary.  And when I bring that, Madam Speaker, I am asking everyone in this house, on both sides of the house, to support the proposals that we are doing which is in effect to give that respect that this high office merits.”