The government’s decision to raise the salaries of Chief Executive Officers and the Cabinet Secretary has ignited outrage among unions—and fueled Friday’s massive protest in Belmopan. For many public officers and teachers, it was the move that pushed them over the edge. But Prime Minister John Briceño isn’t dodging the fallout. Speaking to reporters, he acknowledged the backlash and took full responsibility. Still, Briceño defended the decision, pointing out that the C.E.O. pay hikes totaled around three hundred thousand dollars—a far cry from the sixty-four million dollars it would take to meet the unions’ demand for an eight-point-five percent salary increase.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“The thing is when you look at that, we are looking at the hundred thousand dollars versus sixty-four million dollars, do the math.”
Marion Ali
“What consideration would you be willing to give them. I know you wrote to say yhat your team will meet with them. What consideration will you give at this time?”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Well it is not for me to decide. It is for the group of ministers to meet with them, the DPM along with Minister Fonseca, Coye, Charles Usher, for them to meet and see what best they can find a common ground and come to me and then take it to the Cabinet.”
Reporter
“Will you meet a demand in time for the meeting. They say to answer all their communications that you have not answered before they meet. Are you prepared to do that?”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“We have answered. We have said that we have appointed a committee from within the Cabinet. So they are to meet and then they start the discussion.”
Reporter
“But do you blame Stuart Leslie the Cabinet secretary, because it is he who has the government early into the second term locked into the dispute, because he went ahead and have these lavish increases.”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“I don’t want to start an argument with you, not today, but I don’t know how you could describe it as lavish because it is really not lavish and at the end of the day I have to take responsibility as the prime minister and minister of finance so if you want to blame anyone blame me, I will take the blame.”