By Breaking Belize News Staff: The Public Service Union of Belize (PSU) is demanding the immediate reversal of new restrictions which it says have dramatically reduced Finance Officers’ ability to view government transactions through the SmartStream financial management system.
In a strongly worded statement issued Wednesday, September 9, the PSU said Finance Officers can now view transactions only within the ministry where they are posted, while their previous ability to examine payments and transactions across other government ministries has been withdrawn.
The union says the timing is particularly troubling because the restriction comes amid the ongoing investigation into the so-called “Mira Millions” affair, which emerged after leaked SmartStream records revealed numerous government payments connected to relatives of Belmopan Area Representative Oscar Mira. The PSU argues that viewing transactions across ministries is precisely what allows Finance Officers to identify suspicious patterns that may not be apparent when transactions are examined individually.
Public reporting on the controversy has shown that many of the transactions under scrutiny were below the $10,000 threshold, above which additional Treasury scrutiny is required. Financial Secretary Joseph Waight previously explained that payments below that amount can be processed within individual ministries, while larger payments require further levels of approval.
The Auditor General’s investigation has since widened to examine procurement and financial controls within the Ministry of Defence, Belize Defence Force and Belize Coast Guard. Auditor General Maria Rodriguez said last week that the first report from the investigation is expected by the end of September.
The PSU acknowledged that some restrictions on access to sensitive information, including payroll and personnel records, may be legitimate, but argued that removing cross-ministry visibility from all Finance Officers without publicly explaining the legal basis for doing so goes far beyond normal information-security controls. The union described the move as “a curtain” rather than an internal control.
Among seven demands, the PSU is calling for the immediate restoration of government-wide read access, publication of the instruction authorizing the restriction, assurances that officers will not face disciplinary action for reporting irregularities, and confirmation that the Auditor General, Integrity Commission and Public Accounts Committee retain unrestricted SmartStream access.
The union also renewed its call for passage of the Protected Disclosures Bill, commonly referred to as whistleblower legislation. The bill was introduced in 2021 but remains unenacted five years later, despite renewed pressure from trade unions following the SmartStream revelations.
“Finance Officers do not work for ministers. They work for the people of Belize,” the PSU concluded, calling on the Government to restore the access.
The post PSU sounds alarm as GOB limits SmartStream access amid ‘Mira Millions’ audit appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: The Public Service Union of Belize (PSU) is demanding the immediate reversal of new restrictions which it says have dramatically reduced Finance Officers’ ability to view government transactions through the SmartStream financial management system. In a strongly worded statement issued Wednesday, September 9, the PSU said Finance Officers can now
The post PSU sounds alarm as GOB limits SmartStream access amid ‘Mira Millions’ audit appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
