BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC – The Belize government, Friday, “categorically” denied suggestions that the salaries of members of the Belize Defence Force (BDF) have not been cut.
The Ministry of National Defence and Border Security, in a statement, said that recent discussions in the public domain have created the” incorrect impression that a pay cut was implemented.
“This is not the case. The Ministry wishes to clarify that the recent action undertaken was a salary adjustment exercise designed to ensure that all BDF salaries, increments, and promotions are fully aligned with the approved 2019 pay scale, following an internal review in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and the Treasury Department.”
The Ministry stated that not all BDF members were affected by the previous erroneous application of the adjusted 2019 pay scale, and no BDF member will be required to repay any overpayment resulting from past administrative errors.
“The adjustment corrects cases where some soldiers had been placed on incorrect points of the pay scale, which in turn affected their salaries, increments, and promotions,” the statement said, noting that effective 1 May 2024, all BDF members are now in receipt of two additional allowances, namely the Jungle and Maritime Allowance and the Bush Allowance.
The Ministry said that in July this year, every member of the BDF received a retroactive payment of BDZ$2,250 (One BDZ dollar=US$0.49 cents), reflecting the backdated allowances, adding that these allowances will continue to be paid monthly moving forward.
“This salary adjustment exercise is a necessary and responsible administrative measure to safeguard fairness, accuracy, and transparency in the administration of salaries across the Force.
“The Ministry remains steadfast in its commitment to upholding the welfare of all service members, ensuring that their contributions to the security and sovereignty of Belize are recognized and fairly compensated.
“Furthermore, the Ministry assures all members of the BDF that future improvements to the terms and conditions of service are being planned and will be announced in due course,” the statement said, adding “these measures will continue to strengthen the morale, readiness, and operational effectiveness of the Force”.
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