PM Briceño Defers on CitCo’s Outsourcing Plan

Prime Minister John Briceño has responded to questions surrounding a proposed contract for cleaning services in Belize City, a move that could shift responsibilities from the Belize City Council to a private entity. PM Briceño admitted that he was not fully briefed on the details. According to the prime minister, CitCo currently spends more than thirty-three thousand dollars weekly to maintain grass and other cleaning duties. Mayor Wagner and the contractor believe that outsourcing could save money. When asked if this signals a return to privatization, similar to when former Mayor Bradley absorbed SEL and its employees, PM Briceño deferred, quote, “That’s a discussion for the mayor. I really don’t know; I just found out”, end quote. The Prime Minister emphasized that while he offers support in principle, the final decision must be worked out with City Hall.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“Well, I don’t know the details, but any colleague of mine that comes to me and tells me that they want to provide some service or whatever within the government, of course I would tell them that I would support it. But that is then for the council, in this instance, to make that decision. I just saw Mr. [Lawrence] Ellis and asked him about it and what he was pointing out to me was that it was thirty-three thousand dollars, but he is going to take over that service that the council is doing. The council, what I’ve just found out, the [Belize City] council is spending more than that money to be able to clean with the grass and everything. So, he believes, and the mayor believes that they will be able to save money by having a private group to be in charge of the cleaning.”

 

Reporter

“So now, when the UDP was in, Mayor Bradley had bought over SEL, at the time it was, and brought over all the employees to do that job. So now, is this reprivatizing what SEL used to do?”

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“Can you have that discussion with the mayor? I really don’t know, I just found out. All I did, like in many instances, colleagues would ask me, “Would you support?” I said, “Of course, I would support.” But that’s something that has to be worked out within the institution.”