By Belize Live News Staff: The government may not be in a financial position to support the full salary increases being demanded by teachers, according to Financial Secretary Joseph Waight, who has expressed concern that the public purse is already stretched to its limits.
“We can barely afford what we are doing right now,” Waight told the media, warning that each percentage point increase in public sector salaries could cost the government an additional seven million dollars. With tight expenditure controls already in place, he said such a move could push the national budget into dangerous territory.
Waight explained that the Ministry of Finance is continuously analyzing the fiscal impact of any proposed salary adjustments. “We do it every day to determine how much it would cost. But the bigger question is how will you pay for it?” he said.
While not completely ruling out future increases, Waight hinted that difficult choices could be ahead if spending escalates. “We have to look at it, see where things can come. Hopefully, we don’t have to raise taxes, but you never know.”
The government has stated in prior communications that it remains open to a gradual reinstatement of salary cuts, but warned that a full, immediate reversal could put the national budget under unsustainable pressure.
