The Belize Tax Service is responding to recent criticisms made over its move to become a Semi-Autonomous Revenue Authority, better known as SARA. The transition will occur in December, that means current employees will either be reassigned within the public sector or have to apply for a spot in the new system. Now, while the Tax Service says its staff will get first priority, the Public Service Union isn’t convinced. PSU President Dean Flowers is questioning the move, asking what happens to pensions, gratuities, and allowances that workers have earned over the years. We put those concerns directly to Tax Service Director Michelle Longsworth.
“As public officers. if you resign from the public service right now, you know what your entitlements are. If you have served ten years, you are entitled to a gratuity. If you have served. fifteen years and more, you are entitled to a gratuity and a pension that remains intact. Nobody will lose if they choose to go over to the SARA, that will be paid to them. That is not taking over service. Okay? If you choose to take early retirement. Even now. Presently, if you choose to take early retirement, you receive all your benefits. If you’re over fifty years, that does not change. And every staff member that our public officers, they know how we are governed under the public service regulations and that does not change.”
Britney Gordon
“While they will be able to retain those after. They have resigned and are moving into their new position. What happens to the people that were almost there and they are basically starting from scratch to build up their benefits again. Do they get any sort of compensation?”
On the Phone: Michelle Longsworth
”So that is a discussion that we are having with the Ministry of Finance, and you are speaking to only persons who have, let’s say five years to nine years and eleven months, those persons who have almost reached ten years. Okay. And those are the persons we have a list of them. We have determined what it would cost to maybe offer them a compensation package, but that is in discussions with the Ministry of Finance. And once we have some approval or we will then take that to the staff who are in that category because there’s only a small amount in that category.”