By Belize Live News Staff: The timing and legality of a substantial salary increase for Belize’s Cabinet Secretary are under scrutiny. According to the PSU, the raise—retroactively effective March 13th—occurred before a new Cabinet was officially named, sparking accusations of backdating and manipulation.
Dean Flowers, president of the PSU, called out what he described as “a dangerous and deceitful precedent,” accusing the Briceno Administration of bypassing proper channels and rushing through financial benefits for top officials. “How are you going to pay yourself effectively from March 13th, when you haven’t even presented a budget for the new fiscal year?” he questioned.
The PSU is not just concerned about optics—it wants legal clarification. Flowers noted that public officers are held to strict standards for salary approvals, and those same rules must apply to executive leadership. With unions already signaling unrest over frozen increments and unfulfilled promises, this development could intensify labor tensions heading into budget season.
