PM Briceño Addresses Tax Service Strike Concerns

Prime Minister John Briceño has also weighed in on reports of a possible strike within the Belize Tax Service, emphasizing that while striking is a constitutional right, his administration remains focused on improving efficiency and accountability. PM Briceño highlighted the purpose behind transitioning the tax department into a semi-autonomous body under the SARA initiative. He reaffirmed that this move is critical to modernizing tax administration and ensuring that Belizeans receive the quality service they deserve.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“It is your right as a citizen, if you want to strike or not, that’s on them. Now that you’re telling me about that then I guess I will have to speak with Mrs. Longsworth to find out. But it is important to point out that the whole idea behind SARA is to be able to move it into a semi-autonomous body and we hope that by doing that we’d be able to provide a better service to our citizens, and also to hold to account the employees that provide that service and that’s very important for us.”

 

 

The Public Service Union had presented a position paper on the pending transition and also gave the government an ultimatum regarding the staff at the Belize Tax Services, both have gone unanswered.