Posted: Saturday, September 20, 2025. 10:11 am CST.
By Hugh O’Brien: In the 2025 State of the Nation address Prime Minister John Briceno reported that following negotiations with various unions, over $100 million in additional wages is being rolled out and that over 15,000 public officers, teachers and security personnel stand to benefit.
“When the phased salary increases are fully implemented, and including increments through to 2027, the additional wages will value $112.4 million annually,” said the PM, and this represents an average of $750 per year for each employee.
The wage increase is being implemented on a phased basis and is part of a negotiated package that also includes the reinstatement of increments that were frozen during the COVID-19 pandemic. In October 2025, the first 4.5% salary increase is to be implemented and one (1) increment will be unfrozen in April 2026. Another 4.0% salary increase is scheduled to be implemented in October 2026, and another increment unfreezing will occur in April 2027.
Government was put under some pressure to consider these wage adjustments as the various unions, particularly the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU), the Public Services Union of Belize (PSU) and the Association of Public Service Senior Managers (APSSM) launched a series of protests, and threatened strike action, and economic unrest.
“Had the almost miraculous repair and reconstruction of the public finances not been achieved” by the PUP since 2020, such a wage increase would not have been possible, said Briceno.
According to the IMF in its 2025 Article IV consultation, Belize has indeed experienced a remarkable recovery following the pandemic. The IMF reported that Belize’s economy expanded by 30.6 percent between 2021 and 2023, and real GDP grew by “8.1 percent in 2024, driven by positive developments in tourism, trade, and transport”.
However, with such a significant increase in the public sector wage bill, and despite Briceno’s optimism, Belize must be cautious over the next few years as growth of the economy in 2025 is projected to be less than 2%, a far cry from the 8.1% achieved in 2024. In addition, there is a slowdown in tourism largely due to uncertainties in the United States, and Belize’s agricultural sector is struggling with disease outbreaks and climate change risks. In addition, the IMF is projecting that GDP growth may only average about 2.0% over the next few years and this will begin to put some strain on government’s finances.
Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Belize ~ We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages. Your content is delivered instantly to thousands of users in Belize and abroad! Contact us at mаrkеtіng@brеаkіngbеlіzеnеwѕ.соm or call us at 501-612-0315.
© 2025, BreakingBelizeNews.com. Content is copyrighted and requires written permission for reprinting in online or print media. Theft of content without permission/payment is punishable by law.
The post Over $100 million per year in additional wages to benefit more than 15,000 government workers appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Posted: Saturday, September 20, 2025. 10:11 am CST. By Hugh O’Brien: In the 2025 State of the Nation address Prime Minister John Briceno reported that following
The post Over $100 million per year in additional wages to benefit more than 15,000 government workers appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
