Union President says GOB can do much more to crack down on high cost of living

The government says they are finalizing a ticketing system to crack down on price gouging. The Cabinet has requested that the Attorney General prepare regulations for the issuance of tickets and authorize the Controller of Supplies to issue those tickets for those in violation of the price regulations. The proposed system is in line with the government’s efforts to tackle the rising cost of living brought on by global inflation. Recently, GOB moved to increase the items included in the food basket but President of the Public Service Union, Dean Flowers, says it’s not enough. Flowers says that he believes there is much more that can be done to aid in tackling the high cost of living.

Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union:“One of the resolutions was for us to engage with government about addressing the issue of price gouging, inflation and while the government has in fact conceded to a certain degree and we see the Ministry of Agriculture now expanding the price control list, it is not enough and I find it also extremely disrespectful that this motion, this proposition was brought to the table by the Joint Union and more specifically by the Public Service Union by way of a resolution coming out of that AGM and to date I personally have not seen or had a conversation with anybody from within the Ministry of Agriculture. That list that was put together was never shared with the union. It was never brought to my council. We had no input in it. And I don’t think that that list is sufficient for what the Belizean people are going through and especially what my public officers are going through. And so I am not satisfied with the pace and I’m not satisfied with the extent to which they’ve gone to try to address it. I think it could have been more and I think that they could have been a little bit more respectful to ensure that they got input, significant input from the Joint Unions.”