PM Points to Minimum Wage Increase and Inflation Decrease

The Prime Minister also summarized some of the accomplishments that his government has realized over the time they have been in government. He spoke of the benefits raising the minimum wage has brought to Belizeans who were earning just over three dollars an hour when they got in office, to how they have been able to see the rate of inflation decrease over the past year.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“How could you not celebrate the fact that when you raise from – where was it per month – when the minimum wage was at $3.30 and went up to $5, over 40,000 Belizeans benefitted. And the honourable member from Belize Rural Central said it best: “A rising tide raises all boats,” because what has happened, I was talking to Michael Bowen a few months ago and he was telling me, “I can’t hire anybody at minimum wage anymore. I have to increase my salaries to $8 and $9. The call centres (interruption). The point I’m trying to make is that salaries have gone up all over this country, and yes, when we spoke to the I.M.F they said that it has affected inflation a little bit. But what do you want? Do you want to continue to have high unemployment and paying the people on pittance? Well, I rather we raise the salaries to the people even if we have to deal with wa lee bit ah inflation, which is what we’re doing because now it’s going down. People are making more money, and that’s something to be proud of, my brother. You’re supposed to be celebrating that fact. They have more money. When you have more money you could buy more and when you buy more, the businesses do more and they could hire more people, and have more jobs and more jobs and this is how you grow the economy.”