PM Briceño Touts Steady Economic Growth

Prime Minister John Briceño

Going back to the Prime Minister’s midterm address, he also focused on Belize’s economic state of affairs.  He began by acknowledging the turnaround, as well as the implementation of the five-dollar minimum wage at the start of the year. 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“Together, we rescued our Belizean dollar from devaluation.  Our new policies reduced the public debt by more than fifty percent.  Together, we take credit for reviving a national economy that was gasping for life and together, we have restored confidence in who we are at home and abroad.  None of these are exaggerations.  These are bold achievements.  The SIB will report shortly that during the first quarter of 2023, the Belizean economy continued a historic rise, growing by eleven point five percent with the dynamic tertiary sector of tourism and services surging by sixteen point five percent.  2023, I am sure, will extend the expansions of 2021 and 2022 with unemployment now reaching close to three percent.  Our focus on jobs has been deliberate, we know that for you to win at life the opportunity for work at a livable wage is paramount.  For this reason, we raised the minimum wage by fifty percent at the start of this year.  This is benefiting forty-three thousand workers.”