2025-06-26 - Greater Belize Media

GOB Proposes 4.5% Adjustment in October and 4% in 2026

After weeks of back-and-forth, there’s a new twist in the salary adjustment saga between the Government of Belize and the Joint Union Negotiating Team. Today, government officials brought a fresh proposal to the table, offering a four-point-five percent salary bump starting this October, with another four percent to follow in 2026. That’s a faster timeline than their previous three-year plan. And there’s more: two long-frozen increments could finally be thawed, one in April 2026, the other in 2027. The two sides met in Belize City for what turned into a five-hour negotiation session. So, is this a breakthrough or just another step in a long journey? Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde shared his thoughts as he emerged from the meeting room.

Cordel Hyde, Deputy Prime Minister

“It has been a long journey that started May thirteenth. If you had asked me then whether it takes this long to reach this point I would say no. But it has taken this long and I am hoping we are much close to the end than six weeks ago.”

Reporter

What was the reaction when you put this latest proposal to the table?

Cordel Hyde

“I think they were fair. We had a great discussion. I don’t want to prejudice what they have to do when they have to go back to their membership. But it is suffice to say that the government has committed to eight and a half percent from the get go. We have committed to it, along with the frozen increments over the next two years, and so there are other stuff. Hopefully they are able to get their membership to support and we reach pass this impasse.”

Reporter

Was their an increase from the four percent position?

Cordel Hyde

“It is actually going to be four and a half percent October of this year, which is more than half of the original request, eight and a half percent.”

Reporter

Has it been tied to anything at all, the pension reform?

Cordel Hyde

“It is not tied in the sense that you have to do this to get this, but it is about ensuring we continue that work. We have three committees, cost saving committee, revenue enhancement and pension reform. Those committees have been working. That work continues. It is about ensuring we continue that work in earnest.”

Paul Lopez

“Is the government now pushing beyond the margins of what it can afford?

Cordel Hyde

“This is it. We are hoping the membership will see that we have delivered on their demands, that we are doing our best.”

Union President Weighs In: Will Members Accept Gov’t’s New Offer?

And while the government laid its latest offer on the table, how are the unions feeling about it? We caught up with Public Service Union President Dean Flowers, who says today’s talks were held in good faith and described the meeting as cordial. But the big question remains—will his members accept the deal? Flowers weighed in on that, and what comes next for the union.

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union

“As usual we want to acknowledge the continued good faith discussions by the government team. They are not here in their entirety but they had adequate representation. As much as we can we maintain good faith and cordial discussion.”

Reporter

Were you amenable to accept the counterproposal?

Dean Flowers

“I only have one vote in the PSU. So it is not whether I am amendable, it is whether my members are amendable. The government did what it had committed to. It submitted another counter proposal. I am hoping that matter will be proposed to my membership at the very earliest.”

Reporter

The DPM says this one is not tied to anything. They have upped it from four to four point five percent. So you think your membership will accept that?

Dean Flowers

“I don’t know what my membership will accept. The context has to be discussed. The context. If that is what the DPM said then he would have told you whether it would have been a straight black and white proposal. It is an improved proposal and one that we will present to our membership and we hope that we can break the impasse. We were reminded today, with the presence of the Minister Labor who came as a observer that the twenty-one days expires on Sunday. So between now and Sunday we will find a solution.”

Teachers Weigh In: Is 4.5% Enough to Keep Public Support?

And it’s not just the Public Service Union weighing the government’s latest offer—teachers are also heading back to the drawing board. Belize National Teachers Union President Nadia Caliz says the 4.5% proposal is a step forward and an improvement from where things stood. But here’s the question: could accepting it cost the unions the public support they’ve worked so hard to build? Caliz doesn’t think so. She says the upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement discussions will help address those concerns. So, what’s next for the teachers? That decision now rests with the membership.

Nadia Caliz, President, BNTU

“They are giving us eight point five, whether it is four point five and four, because you said that is what he said to you. I though we agreed that is we were going to take it to our membership and then go from there. Now that the government side went ahead to put it out there publicly that is a decision for our members to decide. I am just like brother Dean, we only had one vote. What we do know is that we asked the government’s side if this will result in new taxes. One of the things they said to us, that is not a part of their discussion at all. They are offering to us four point five and four because they are looking at what they can afford at this time since they did not budget for it.”

Paul Lopez

“But, four point five is only a point five percent increase. I am stuck on it because you did not accept one percent increase with the four percent.”

Nadia Caliz

“You have to remember when they gave us four they wanted to give us the next four in two more years, now we are looking at a two year proposal, one year four point five and the other year four.”

Paul Lopez

“How concerned are you that if you take this proposal you lose support from the general public?”

Nadia Caliz

“This is what I want to say to the public, the other issues are under the CBA. We cant run away from that. The CBA is not something you snap your fingers and address. The public needs to understand that. While we acknowledge the support and thank them for the support and ask for their continued support, the decision of the four point five and four is up to the unions and if they accept that you don’t hate them or go against them for that, id they accept that. I nuh want the public think that if my membership decides that this is what they want that they are selling out. Nobody is selling out. There is too many issues to address and we have to address them.”

Hyde Rejects Attack Ads, Urges Focus on Real Issues

In the middle of tense negotiations and high-stakes decisions, Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde is calling for a reset in tone. Speaking out today, Hyde distanced himself from the recent wave of personal attack ads targeting union leaders. He says those kinds of tactics only distract from the real work that needs to be done. According to Hyde, it’s time to focus on solutions, not smear campaigns. Here’s how he put it.

Cordel Hyde, Deputy Prime Minister

“I said to the folks that a lot has been said on both sides, but we don’t support that kind of stuff. We are about getting results, talking constructively, about respecting each other, being serious about the issues and we don’t get into personality issues, we really cant because this country is too small, the demands are too great. Our time is limited. We are not going to be here forever. And so, we have to maximize and get much done as hard as we can for as long as we can. And when you get into personality, it takes away from the work you have to do, so we don’t support that. We made that clear to those on the other side on the joint unions.”

Reporter

“While you are around the table doing the work, there is your colleagues on the other side saying we will have to raise taxes if the teachers gets their increase. This has to make the work you are doing much more difficult.”

Cordel Hyde

“That is our job, to find a way to reach an agreement and we cant shy away from that. I wish we had reached this point some time ago and now we are here and I think we are as close as we can get.”

GOB’s Office Rentals Raise Transparency Questions; Landlord List Stays Hidden

Government spending is always a hot-button issue, especially when it comes to how public money is used behind closed doors. This week, we’re looking at office rentals, an area that’s costing taxpayers millions each year. Minister of Public Service Henry Charles Usher says the government is getting good value for money, even pointing to a rate of about two dollars and ninety cents per square foot, less than what commercial tenants pay. But here’s the catch: we still don’t know who the landlords are, how much they’re being paid, or how those deals were made. Usher promised to release that information, but days later, the list is still nowhere to be found. So, what’s really going on? Is this about transparency or just talk? Here’s News Five’s Paul Lopez with that story.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Government spending is always a hot topic and this week we’re diving into one area that’s raising eyebrows: office rentals. On Monday, News Five sat down for an exclusive one-on-one with the Minister of Public Service, Henry Charles Usher, to get some answers. In a wide-ranging, half-hour interview, Minister Usher broke down the details, revealing that four government ministries are currently renting office space.

Henry Charles, Minister of Public Service

“The fact is that there are three possibly four ministries that are involved when we look at renting offices, the first is the ministry that needs the office space. The second ministry is the ministry of finance, the ministry of finance has to approve the finance to rent the building and the third is the ministry of public service. We are the executing ministry.”

He told us that sometimes, when buildings need a facelift, the Ministry of Infrastructure Development & Housing steps in to handle the remodeling. And when it comes to that $2.5 million price tag for rental spaces, Minister Usher says it’s not just about the total cost, it’s about the value. He pointed out that you must look at what the government is getting for each square foot.

Henry Charles

“Let us look at the total square footage of rentals that the government is renting. And when you divide that up you are looking at square footage countrywide it adds up to about two dollars and ninety cents per square foot which is less than what the commercial tenants are paying for office space.”

Now, while we can take the minister at his word, there’s still a big piece of the puzzle missing. Without access to the actual rental agreements, and the total square footage being leased from each private landlord, it’s hard to know if taxpayers are really getting a fair deal. The good news? Minister Usher promised to share that full list during our sit-down.

Henry Charles

“Of course there are contractual obligations on certain things, but once the attorney general’s ministry says it is ok then I don’t have a problem. It is the people’s money and not something already known..”

But it has been four days since Monday, and we are still without those documents. So, we pressed him further on the matter today when we caught up in Belize City.

Paul Lopez

“With the conversation we had earlier this week you had promised earlier this week, you had promised us that last for the number of buildings.”

Henry Charles

“I spoke about it yesterday with Love FM, because you cut and splice my interview and I told you not to do that. So, next time Channel 5 has to show better media integrity. So yesterday I went on Love and gave the entire interview with all the details. So you can get it from them.”

Paul Lopez

“No, I cant get the list from Love Fm. We need that list to see that list to see the amount of building government is renting and from whom.”

Henry Charles

“Sure, I will get that list to you, and as I said, I was speaking about it yesterday to Love FM where I gave all of the details. George was right there, the camera man. He knows there is more footage you could have shown. I am wondering who is telling you to do these things. Go interview the DPM he is the one that is going to be giving the details about the meeting.”

Minister Usher had a lot to say about how these rental deals are made—who’s involved, how the process works, and the value the government claims it’s getting. But here’s the thing: we still don’t know exactly who’s getting paid and how much. That landlord list? Still under wraps. And until it’s made public, there’s a cloud of mystery hanging over the whole arrangement. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez

$70K Advisor Hire Raises Eyebrows—Are Other Ministries Doing the Same?

Last night, we told you about a new advisor being brought on board at the Ministry of Home Affairs—retired police officer Aaron Guzman, hired at a cost of seventy thousand dollars to taxpayers. Minister Kareem Musa defended the move, saying advisory contracts like this are common across the public service. So today, we took that claim to another ministry. We asked Natural Resources Minister Cordel Hyde—do his CEOs have advisors too?

Paul Lopez

“Sir does your CEO has a special advisor that is getting seventy thousand annually?”

Cordel Hyde, Minister of Natural Resources

“No, don’t give him any ideas, no.”

Paul Lopez

“As a senior politician, why would a CEO need an advisor if they are being placed in such an authoritative role?”

Cordel Hyde

“I don’t know, I cannot speak to that. I have never been a CEO. But what I can say is that the job of governance is much different than when I was first around twenty-five years ago. It is heavy lifting, a lot of work. But I cant speak to that.”

PSU President Says CEO Advisor Post is “Ridiculous”

And while the government defends its decision to hire a seventy-thousand-dollar advisor for the CEO in the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Public Service Union isn’t exactly on board. PSU President Dean Flowers told us this is the first he’s hearing of such an arrangement, and he’s raising eyebrows. Flowers questioned the competency of the CEO needing an advisor in the first place, and while he was at it, he shifted the spotlight to another concern: the salaries of Belize Defense Force soldiers. Here’s what he had to say.

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union

“This is the first time I am hearing a CEO needs an advisor. What is comical about this situation is that this was one of the very CEOs who would have thrown some comments at me under CEO Shal’s comments and here I was giving her credits and in the words of her minister she does not know what she is doing that she needs and advisor. And I didn’t say that, her minister say that she needed proper advice so he had to hire the good brother, a retiree. It is just another sign that the wage bill is in such an unaffordable state because of their own doings. It is really ridiculous. I intend to do an analysis of the wage bill, especially because of what has happened to our BDF soldiers. I maintain that the BDF and the Police Department are among the lowest paid public officers who do the hardest work in the country in providing citizens security. On my cursory view, there is a gentleman on one of the political stations every morning and his post is classified as a minister’s aid and he is in the forties, he deh dah forty k. How can you do that do our soldiers who are earning twelve and thirteen and fourteen thousand and then you have a minister aid in that category nearing fifty thousand dollars?”

High Court Reverses UDP Expulsions—But Party Says Not So Fast

A courtroom curveball is shaking up the political scene and it’s got many in the United Democratic Party talking. Today, the High Court delivered a firm and clear ruling in a case brought by Albert Area Representative Tracy Panton, one that could have big implications for the U.D.P. The Court ruled that the expulsions of four senior U.D.P. members, including Panton herself, were unlawful from the start, meaning they were never actually expelled at all. That’s right, Senator Patrick Faber, Beverly Williams, John Saldivar, and Opposition Leader Panton are officially back in the fold, with all their rights and privileges intact. It’s a strong message from the bench that the Constitution matters, and no one, not even a political party, can act above the law. But the Shyne Barrow faction issued a statement shortly after the ruling. While the court did review the matter, the U.D.P. insists that the outcome doesn’t change anything. According to the party, the judge made it clear that decisions about Panton’s membership are still up to the U.D.P., not the court. But here’s where it gets interesting: the judge also acknowledged serious allegations against Panton, saying it would be “inappropriate” for the court to force the party to take her back. So, while the court didn’t order her reinstatement, it didn’t exactly close the door either. Now, the U.D.P. says it will hold internal meetings to decide whether Panton, and others, should be welcomed back. They say it’s all part of an effort to unite the party ahead of their National Convention.

Just hours after a court ruling shook up the political scene, the United Democratic Party is making its position quite clear: Tracy Taegar-Panton is not a member of the party’s executive, and according to them, she has no right to speak on its behalf. The statement comes as confusion swirls around Panton’s role and recent public comments. While the court hasn’t issued its final written judgment, the U.D.P. is already pushing back hard, calling her claims misleading and illegitimate. But here’s where it gets interesting: despite the tough talk, returning U.D.P. Chairman Mike Peyrefitte says he’s had “positive” talks with Panton and other party execs, including Shyne Barrow, Hugo Patt and Deputy Chairman Alberto August. He’s calling for unity but also admits he’s not sure if real change is possible. So, what’s really going on here? Is this party trying to come together—or just papering over deep divisions?

Mike Peyrefitte, Returning Chairman, U.D.P.

“Bygones will have to be bygones. We have to move forward in the best interest of the party, and I will give it a sincere try. I will try my very best to move it forward and until I determine for my own self and my own personal sanity and my family’s chagrin at my decision to return, I have to decide if I can continue to make a difference or it will just be more of the same. I’ve had discussions with Leader of the Opposition [Tracy Taegar] Panton. I’ve had discussions with Shyne [Barrow], I’ve had discussions with Hugo [Patt], I’ve had discussions with Alberto [August] and the discussions that I’ve had with them, yesterday and today have been very positive. We will see if we can chart a course forward that is in the best interest of the U.D.P., with all of us onboard knowing that we will have to do better.”

High-Grade Haul: Kings Park Woman Busted with 70 lbs. of Weed

A major drug bust in Belize City has landed a young woman behind bars and raised serious concerns about the scale of street-level drug trafficking. Police say twenty-four-year-old Rebecca Marlene Daniels was arrested on Thursday after a search at her Kings Park home turned up a staggering seventy pounds of suspected cannabis, packaged in thirty parcels and reportedly including high-grade strains like Sour Diesel, Mango Kush, and Green Crack. The estimated street value? Over a hundred thousand Belize dollars. Daniels now faces a serious charge: possession of controlled drugs with intent to supply.

Ronnel Gonzalez, Attorney-at-law

“In the arraignment, Ms. Rebecca Daniels was charged with possession of controlled drugs with the intent to supply. The quantity was seventy pounds, charged before the court. The matter went to arraignment, the charge was read and the defendant entered a plea of not guilty. Thereafter, I made a formal application for bail before the court and the magistrate, in her wisdom, saw it fit to grant bail in the matter. Bail was granted in the sum of ten thousand dollars, with two sureties of the same: five thousand dollars each and at this time, bail is being processed. As it relates to marijuana and the charge that’s before the court, the legislation is silent on that point, to the fact that you are able to be granted bail before the magistrate’s court for the sum that was before the court today. The conditions given for bail before the court was that she should sign in to the police station once a week. She should surrender her travel documents to the court. She should not leave the jurisdiction of Belize without permission of the court.”