And Usher also discussed the public sector's burgeoning wage bill. It's going up by a reported 17 million dollars this year. The public service minister says it's not that much but this was necessary and here's why:
Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service
"The wage bill has grown. I mean, it has grown because of the salary adjustment that was implemented October 1st, the first half of the salary adjustment. Again, this October 1st, 2026, the second half of that salary adjustment will be implemented. On April 1st, one of the frozen increments was unfrozen and was applied to from the public officers. So you are seeing an increase in wage bill in different areas. You are seeing more persons being hired. There are more projects. There are more departments opening up. There's a lot more happening on the plan Belize. So you are seeing more persons working. But not to the levels that I think the Senator quoted there. I certainly don't see that over a thousand persons came out in the last fiscal year."
