PSU Challenges Government Over SARA Transition

The Public Service Union has issued a strongly worded response to the Ministry of Finance over plans to transition the Belize Tax Services Department into a Semi-Autonomous Revenue Authority (SARA). In a letter sent on January seventh, PSU President Dean Flowers accused authorities of walking back commitments made just weeks earlier, calling the ministry’s position dismissive and overly restrictive. The union says limiting consultation to internal employee issues shuts out public oversight on what it views as a major economic reform, something it believes goes against democratic principles. At the center of the dispute is transparency, with the PSU demanding access to the studies and analyses that guided Cabinet’s decision. And with a January sixteenth deadline fast approaching, the union is warning that if those promises aren’t kept, all options remain on the table.

 

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union

“I would have to commence by stating that the response to the Financial Secretary was prompted by the fact that the Financial Secretary attempts to push the union in a corner and tell us that policy matters are not our business and we should restrict ourselves to HR matters. And so, we found it necessary to respond to the financial secretary and remind him that we are living in a democracy and in a democracy we hold our leaders accountable. You have every right to question policy decisions that could have adverse impacts on this economy which subsequently impacts every person. Where the matter of SARA is concerned, the Fin Sec is saying that despite the possibility of this major policy shift, despite the magnitude of that, the officers in their and the unions should not be concerned as to whether this decision was justified by data and analysis and that this decision will improve the life of Belizeans. And we are saying to the Financial Secretary that we believe he has lost his way and I will take this opportunity to reiterate that his time has passed and it is time that new direction be placed at the helm of the ministry of finance.”