PSU Slams Govt Rent Spending Amid Pay Dispute

While the government has insisted that they cannot afford the full 8.5 percent salary increase in one lumpsum, President of the Public Service Union (PSU), Dean Flowers, insisted that the Briceno administration can afford the demands.  To substantiate his argument, President Flowers highlighted the expenses of building rentals for government offices across the country.  In one instance, he noted that the Ministry of Immigration pays as much as twenty-two thousand dollars in rent on a monthly basis.

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union: “We’ve continuously said that there’s a need, an urgent need for government to consolidate it’s ministries into publicly owned facilities and we believe that we have a what could possibly be a model to follow with what exists with the Eleanor Hall building. What we need to ensure is that we’re getting value for whatever management contract goes into that and that we don’t end up with what is happening with the BAA and the concession company at the airport. Topping the list for the highest monthly rental is the Immigration and Nationality Department which falls under the Prime Minister’s ministry and their paying $22,000 to a certain land owner and we must ask ourselves is that the office in Belize City? Is that the office in Belmopan ? And if it’s the office in Belmopan I believe that we would have already, which is a much more beautiful building if I can say that compared to the office in Belize City, I can tell you that that building the monthly rent for that building was never $22,000 under the previous administration. The Ministry of Health and Wellness I thought, I know we have to pay a bit of house rent for the Cuban brigades and so on but they are renting a building somewhere for $18,000 and we need to know who is getting that money. The Ministry of Public Utilities, $17,000 a month… this is monthly. The Ministry of Finance and Home Affairs I guess they’re combined in there we see a contract here for $15,800. Ministry of Human Development they’re paying $15,000. Blue Economy they’re paying $14,000 for one of their buildings. Ministry of Rural Transformation $14,000. And this is the shocker…. The Ministry of Youth also has one here for $14,000. There are others for some $12,000, and $10,000. I see the Attorney General here for $12,000 I assume that’s the one in Belmopan which is a vey beautiful building and very spacious. A Blue Economy again for another $10,000. If we were to only invest in our office complexes we would save the tax payers a whole lot of money in the millions.”

Additionally, PSU’s President, highlighted the issue of housing allowances that were paid out to public officers.  Flowers noted that in 2022, the government paid out 10.9 million dollars in housing allowances which he says is the result of the transfer of public officers. He went further to speak on the payment of overtime for public officers which he says is a system that is abused within government.

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union: “I want to focus on housing allowance. Why ? Because there are some ministries that provide housing and then of course if you transfer an office you must pay them a $300 housing allowance which I want to say to public officers we will negotiate in the new upcoming CBA to ensure that you get house rent at market rate. In 2022 Belizean tax payers paid $10.9 million dollars in housing allowance and that’s only housing allowance and that’s why we’re saying the issue of transferring public officers left, right and center is not making economic sense. It makes no sense. In 2023 that went up to $11.2 million dollars. I guess we were kicking and screaming in 2024 that it went down to $8.8 million but over a three year period Belizean tax payers paid in house rent $31 million dollars. That’s a sum that can be reduced from the wage bill if managed properly and we have better oversight and accountability. We believe there is a lot of exploitation in the area of over time. There’s a lot of exploitation in overtime and the Auditor General again has a duty and a responsibility to look at overtime abuse. We’re paying as much as $17 million dollars in overtime and that’s what we need to find out. Is it only government drivers ? Is it customs officers ? Immigration officers ? Who is making $17 million dollars a year in overtime ? If we need more public officers to efficiently do the job then let’s do that because when people work overtime it’s time and a half. So we have to properly look at these areas.”

Another aspect of expenditure that PSU’s Flowers looked at was the acquisition of government vehicles.  Flowers went as far as alluding to corruption within the Assets and Vehicles Unit in Belize.

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union: “Let’s look at vehicles because that’s also a new hustle. Well, a continuous hustle. And I looked at 2021/2022 coming out of COVID that’s the year that people were eating. We spent in accordance with the records that we were able to put our hands on $10.2 million dollars in vehicles.”

“How many Land Cruisers ? “

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union: “And what stood out to me here is that 20% of that went to not to the dealers because we have our established dealers but $2.2 million was put in the hands of a small group of private citizens and I dare say it’s about seven of them or let me tell you how many of them it is……”

“Call their names.”

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union: “Sixteen of them. $2.2 million dollars. We didn’t do much purchases in 2022/2023. We see again in 2023/2024 they didn’t get a whole lot but we would have spent a substantial amount and again in 24/25 those same groups of individuals but this time only…….five of them were responsible for 28% or $1.2 million dollars. So certain car dealers are making serious money and may very well be in collusion with principals at the Assets and Utilities Department and if there is nothing to hide then they need to come forward and show from who we are buying.”

Flowers presentation comes as part of the unions’ argument that there are various ways the government can garner the money needed to grant the full eight-point five percent increase.  As the NTUCB conference carried on, happening simultaneously in northern Belize, was a march by public officers and teachers along the main streets of Corozal Town.  According to the participants, their march is to express solidarity with the demands of the joint unions.