Prime Minister John Briceño says Abelardo Mai Jr. should be judged by his qualifications, not his family name. The Prime Minister is responding to criticism from the Public Service Union over Mai’s six-month appointment as acting director of the Belize Solid Waste Management Authority. The union claims the junior economist was promoted ahead of seasoned public officers with decades of experience. Briceño rejects that criticism, arguing that Mai has the necessary public-sector and managerial background and should not be denied the position simply because of his family ties.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“I wish that the Public Service Union would act more as a partner and not that everything has to be a fight. If they want to be fair, we’ve had multiple problems at the site – at the Solid Waste Management site. There have been, we changed at least three heads and these are technical people that they do not know how to manage. In one case, there was even the concern that one of them was forging contracts and, you know, something that had been under investigation. We need somebody that manages and Mr. Mai junior has an MBA from a university out of Florida, has already worked in the Ministry of Economic Transformation. So he already knows and understand how the government works and he also the managerial experience and training. We believe that he can go in there and manage the place. It’s a temporary position. It is for six months. And are you saying just because he’s a PUP or the son of a former minister, he can’t get a job? The point is, is he qualified? Yes, he’s qualified, and it’s a temporary position for six months..”
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