Unions Propose Construction of Government Office Complex

Here’s a thought—what if, instead of pouring millions into rent every year, the government actually built its own office complex? That’s the suggestion from PSU President Dean Flowers, who last week challenged the government to stop renting and start investing in public infrastructure. He’s also calling on the Auditor General to step in and find out—are Belizeans really getting value for money when it comes to these rental deals?

 

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union

“If we were to only invest in our office complexes, we would save the tax payers a whole lot of money in the millions. I can say to you that a careful analysis in rentals for some years will show as much as six million dollars in only rent. If you are to do a proper analysis on rental on a five year period it would amount to sixteen million Belize dollars. We can build a beautiful office complex for ten million dollars. So the government needs to stop giving away the land and instead acquire or withhold a peace of land and address these ridiculous rental prices, which we all know are inflated and I challenge the auditor general to review these numbers and to check in on these building to determine whether we are getting value for money. The contractor general, we are also paying a contractor general who needs to ascertain these things.”