Belize Without Auditor General: Critical Position Overseeing $4B Economy Left Vacant Since August

Belize is currently functioning without an Auditor General since Dorothy Bradley’s contract expired on August 31.  It had been announced months ago that Bradley’s contract would have not been renewed, yet the vacancy for Auditor General was only released two days ago on October 7.  It is a crucial position that would oversee a 4-billion dollar economy and that is mandated to keeps the checks and balances in government spending.  Perhaps the most concerning factor in this search for an Auditor General is that we have been here before when the government was forced to renew Bradley’s contract for lack of an acceptable replacement.  The Public Service Union has been extremely vocal on this subject ranging from Bradley’s performance to the way the government regards the office.  PSU’s President Dean Flowers spoke to Love News on this matter including the fact that the salary being offered for the position is severely lacking.  According to Flowers, it was only four months ago that the PSU wrote to the Prime Minister regarding the replacement of the Auditor General and the dire need to ensure that a suitably qualified person is hired for the position. 

Back in 2022, Prime Minister John Briceno did speak on the challenges they government has in finding a suitable person to fill the Auditor General post.  He noted at that time that there was no succession plan which had forced the government to reinstate Dorothy Bradley.  Today, however, despite efforts of trying to get a comment from the Prime Minister, on the fact that there still wasn’t a succession plan in place, we weren’t able to get much.  According to the PM Briceno he had to rush off to catch a flight.   

As it relates to the pay scale for the Auditor General, the PSU President took issue with this, saying that the Prime Minister has the liberty to make necessary adjustments.  He added that in his estimation, the government sources money for what they desire.

Dorothy Bradley was first installed as the Auditor General in 2011.  She took a one year break in December 2021, and was reinstated in 2022.  Bradley is the first woman Auditor General in Belize.