Social Partners call on opposition to return to PAC hearings

John Saldivar

Government representatives of the Public Accounts Committee, led by pro-tem chairman John Saldivar, met with the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as the Evangelical Association today where a proposal outlining the way forward was tabled.  While the social partners have requested additional time to peruse and digest the proposal, they are calling for the opposition to resume its role in the committee and the ongoing hearings.  Furthermore, the three senators who are attending the hearings as observers will continue to do so for the remainder of the sessions.

John Saldivar, Pro Tem Chair, Public Accounts Committee

“Very informative meeting, very productive.  As we had said on Wednesday, we took to the wider social partners group, the unions and the chamber, the proposals that came out of the meeting with the Council of Churches on Wednesday.  We also had the Evangelical churches represented in this meeting here today and I also feel that we have made great progress.  The chamber has asked for a few more days to look at the proposal that has been put forward and I believe that by Wednesday we should have a word from them as to whether it’s a go.”

Isani Cayetano

“This meeting, to some extent, can be seen as sort of either mending fences or extending an olive branch based on statements that were made within the business community regarding recent meetings held by the Public Accounts Committee.  Would you say that things are back on track with the relationship between the two entities?”

John Saldivar

“Well, at least we are trying to work with the social partners.  We are trying to keep the dialogue open and I believe we are on the same page in terms of what we want to achieve.  We want to make sure that the Public Accounts Committee does its work, that it functions properly, to examine the public accounts of this country, the expenditures of government and that we can do so in an open and transparent manner with as much participation as possible.  I believe all the social partners present at the meeting today, the Council of Churches, the Evangelical Association, the union and the chamber agreed that the opposition must play its rightful role in this committee and in the hearings that are taking place and have said that they are in agreement that the opposition should come back to the table.  I expect that perhaps by next week they’ll make that call publicly for the opposition to come back to the table.”

Earlier this week, Saldivar met with the council of churches who say their role is to uphold the laws that govern the committee.