Ella Waight Raises Concerns Over Perception of Mira Family Government Contracts

President of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize, Ella Waight, is weighing in on the growing controversy surrounding government contracts and payments made to family members of Minister of Home Affairs Oscar Mira.  Speaking to the media, Waight was careful to note that the views she expressed were her personal opinions and should not be interpreted as an official position of the NTUCB. Nevertheless, she shared concerns about the perception created when close relatives of elected officials are recipients of government contracts and public funds.

Ella Waight, President, NTUCB: “This is a very small country and it will be inevitable that either brother or sister or cousin someone will benefit from some kind of government contract. It should not be like I mentioned before about this proverbial pie. It should not be that you get everything from a certain contract or a certain item that needs to be catered from the public for government services. When we speak about government needs, we’re speaking about money that the citizens pay. It’s not a private company. If it’s a private company, it doesn’t matter, but it’s taxpayer money. And the same person that, again, this pie is so small, we have to ensure that everybody gets a piece of this pie. To me, it’s not rocket science. It’s just ensuring that, yes, my family is already in that business, that person may know how to go about submitting bills, they do it. I am not on that committee that that happens, but we have to be real. The perception is out there that it’s because you’re related to that person. But fine if that perception is out there so be it. But I also have to ensure that as the minister of a certain department, I encourage and I promote and I push for everyone, every citizen of this country who who can provide services to the Government of Belize is given a fair opportunity. It will happen that there will be family, it will happen that there will be cousins, but it should not be that this is so, it is so much of that that it creates the perception of the nepotism, it creates the perception of favoritism. It should not go to that point, it should not be at that point because you are an elected official you are representing the persons in your constituency and Belizeans are on a hole and it would not be beneficial for you in the end. So that would be my personal perspective. Again, to get a formal perspective of NTUCB we have to have that meeting to see what will be their recommendations.”

Waight explained that regardless of whether procurement rules were followed or whether the contracts were legally awarded, public confidence can be affected when there appears to be a direct benefit flowing to family members of public officials. She stressed that public office holders must be mindful not only of actual conflicts of interest but also of the appearance of conflicts.