Dean Flowers Reveals Government Rent Expenditure

At today’s NTUCB press conference, Public Service Union President Dean Flowers came ready, with receipts. Ahead of the event, Flowers did some digging into government spending, and what he found is raising eyebrows. From building rentals to vehicle purchases and even housing and entertainment allowances, the numbers tell a story that’s hard to ignore. While he admits some of these costs are necessary, Flowers says the amounts being spent raise more questions than answers. And when it comes to office space rentals—he’s calling for transparency. Here’s what he had to say.

 

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union

“Topping the list for the highest monthly rental is the Immigration and Nationality Department, which falls under the Prime Minister’s Ministry and they’re paying twenty-two thousand  to  a certain landowner. 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 building, the price of that building, the monthly rent for that building was never twenty-thousand under the previous administration. The Ministry of Health and Wellness, I thought, I know we have to pay a little bit of house rent for the Cuban brigades and so on, but they are renting a building somewhere for eighteen thousand dollars and we need to know who’s getting that money. The Ministry of Public Utilities, seventeen thousand dollars a month. This is monthly. Ministry of Finance and Home Affairs, I guess they’re combining there. We see a contract here for fifteen thousand eight hundred dollars. Ministry of Human Development, they’re paying fifteen thousand dollars.  Blue Economy, they are paying fourteen thousand dollars for one of their buildings, fourteen thousand dollars, Ministry of Rural Transformation fourteen thousand dollars. And this is the shocker, the Ministry of Youth also has one here for fourteen thousand dollars. I’m trying to figure out which building house the Ministry of Youth, that is worth fourteen thousand dollars. And there  are others for some twelve thousand dollars, and ten thousand dollars. I see the Attorney General here for twelve thousand dollars. I assume that’s the one in Belmopan which is a very beautiful building and very spacious. A blue economy again for another ten thousand dollars.”