Public Service Transfers Suspended for 2026; PSU Backs Government Decision

The Government of Belize has suspended all public service transfers involving a change of jurisdiction for 2026, extending officers’ current tours of duty by one year.

The directive is outlined in Circular Memorandum No. 26 of 2026, dated April 20 and issued by the chief executive officer in the Ministry of the Public Service and Disaster Risk Management, Rolando Zetina.

The memorandum states that while Regulation 101(1) of the Belize Constitution (Public Service) Regulations, 2014, provides for tours of duty of at least two years but not more than three years, the ministry has decided—”in consideration of the exigencies of the service”—to extend 2026 tours by an additional year at officers’ current duty stations.

As a result, no transfers constituting a change in jurisdiction will be considered this year. Chief executive officers have been asked to submit requests for the one-year extensions where necessary.

In a press release, the Public Service Union (PSU) announced its full support for the measure.

The PSU described the circular as “timely and necessary,” arguing that many transfers in previous years have been punitive in nature and costly to taxpayers. According to the PSU, transfer-related expenses, including transfer grants, rental allowances, commuting allowances, and hardship allowances, amount to millions of dollars annually.

The union also cited Regulation 96 of the Public Service Regulations, which states that transfers must be made strictly in the interest of the service and not used as a substitute for disciplinary action. The PSU said it has observed instances where transfers were allegedly used to “victimize, intimidate, or marginalize” officers.

The PSU further said that all eligible public officers should continue receiving applicable allowances during the extended tour of duty, without interruption, and urged finance officers across ministries to ensure administrative and budgetary arrangements are made to prevent stoppages.

The union is also calling on the Ministry of the Public Service and Disaster Risk Management to closely monitor implementation of the circular and to take steps to prevent what it describes as the misuse of transfers as a tool of reprisal.