UDP backs tax workers’ walkout, says SARA gives too much power to Finance Minister

By Breaking Belize News Staff: The United Democratic Party (UDP) has thrown its support behind employees of the Belize Tax Service Department who walked out of work on Wednesday morning in protest of the Government’s move to establish the Semi-Autonomous Revenue Authority, or SARA.

Opening the UDP’s press conference, Party Chairman Senator Sheena Pitts applauded public officers who participated in the industrial action and accused the Briceño administration of disregarding workers’ concerns over their remuneration and the transition to the new authority.

Later in the briefing, Opposition Leader Tracy Taegar-Panton said the UDP “wholeheartedly rejects” the Revenue Authority Bill, arguing that too much authority would be concentrated in the Minister of Finance. She also questioned why Customs and Excise and the Lands Department are not included among the revenue streams to be administered by the new authority.

The Bill passed the House of Representatives on Friday, August 21. The Public Service Union has similarly complained that the proposed advisory board lacks sufficient authority while the Minister would exercise significant control over the appointment and removal of the authority’s CEO.

Prime Minister John Briceño has defended SARA as a modernization measure that would give the tax administration greater flexibility to recruit and retain specialized personnel. Government says affected employees would have options including applying to the authority, remaining in the wider public service or retiring.

The post UDP backs tax workers’ walkout, says SARA gives too much power to Finance Minister appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.