‘We are Dying’, Retired Public Officers Demand Increments

This morning, a group of retired public officers gathered in front of the Eleanor Hall Building in Belize City to protest. They are demanding payment for two years’ worth of increments that have been withheld since 1995. To make up for the frozen salaries, they were given shares in B.T.L. However, thirty years later, the retirees have yet to see any of the millions of dollars held in the trust. According to Lizbeth Castillo, Interim Vice President of the Association of Beneficiaries and Retired Public Officers, at least nine thousand public officers are owed money for this period. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with more details.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

“We are dying out here, run the trust money.” That’s what Lizbeth Castillo’s sign read as she protested in front of the Eleanor Hall Building in Belize City today. As the interim Vice President of the Association of Beneficiaries and Retired Public Officers, she’s part of a group that has been waiting for government payments for thirty years.

 

Lizbeth Castillo, Interim VP, Association of Beneficiaries & Retired Public Officers

“During the period 1995 to 1997, we were not given our yearly increments.  And the government at the time said, instead of for reasons to themselves and I guess for financial reasons as well, what they did was to they invested in shares in B.T.L. So we have some retail shares and all these years, those shares have been accumulating dividends. So it’s a lot of money now. And we were promised that years ago when they were able, we were all going to sit at the table. The calculations would have been done, and people were going to get what is justly theirs.”

 

The members explain that because of the salary freeze, the retirees’ pensions have been miscalculated. Castillo says the money, now over eight million dollars, is just sitting in a trust managed by the Public Service Workers Trust. Their worry is that while the funds are being misused, the association’s members are slowly passing away from old age.

 

Lizbeth Castillo

“One of the things that saddens most of us is that a lot of our fellow beneficiaries keep dying each and every day. Because for government, we retire at fifty-five. We’re all people in our late sixties and older.  So the youngest person would be in their sixties, that would benefit from this trust.  And he made that promise and we have had a couple meetings with them.  We’ve had very cordial meetings.  I would want to assure everybody, because we have to say what is correct.  And, but we think that you’re not moving as fast as they ought to do.”

 

In late 2023, Prime Minister John Briceño expressed his support for dissolving the trust. However, he explained that some retirees had taken the issue to the High Court, stopping the government from acting. Earlier this year, Briceño mentioned that the case is still unresolved.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño (File: January 23rd, 2025)

“There is a group of public officers that have taken out a case. This is the last I can remember. That is in the supreme court. Before we could dissolve that trust they need to take that out of the Supreme Court. We run the risk of, if we do that the courts could come at us and say we can’t do that because it is a live matter in the court. I have said let us get that out of court. I had a meeting with them the other day. They agreed to remove the case and then we are going to wind down that trust. They should get their money. I support that. They should get their money because they are getting older, dying or more than ever they need the help, they are not working, sick and so they have my full support.”

 

The association stated that if the Prime Minister commits in writing to dissolving the trust, they might be convinced to drop the claim. However, without action from the government, they remain uncertain if the issue will be resolved.

 

Lizbeth Castillo

“We are not giving up, we are not losing hope. We think that all is going to prevail and one day soon we are going to get our money. But if we just sit down idly, nothing will happen. We want to get the support of the public, the media, the other public officers, because we are not the only ones that will be affected.”

 

Britney Gordon for News Five.