On August 26, 2026, a nationwide work stoppage shut down all Belize Tax Service (BTS) operations across Belize, organized by the Public Service Union (PSU) in opposition to the proposed Revenue Authority Bill — widely referred to as the SARA Bill — a flagship tax system overhaul that union leaders argue dangerously concentrates power in the executive branch and threatens public employees’ livelihoods.
The protest, which began shortly before midday, saw public tax officers abandon their posts en masse, bringing routine tax administration services across the country to a complete standstill. In remarks to local outlet News Five, PSU President Dean Flowers praised the widespread participation from tax department staff, while issuing sharp criticism of BTS senior management for echoing the government’s unconvincing reassurances that no jobs will be lost under the reform. “When your employees face crippling anxiety and uncertainty about their job security, true leaders step in to ease those fears,” Flowers said. “Instead, BTS management has become nothing more than parrots repeating the government’s empty nonsense. Shame on every last one of them — you are a disgrace.”
Union organizers and participating workers have stressed that their opposition is not rooted in resistance to tax reform or improved revenue collection as a whole; multiple union representatives emphasized that the movement is focused solely on protecting the rights and job security of public service employees. At the core of their objections is the bill’s provision that would grant the Minister of Finance sweeping, unchecked authority over senior appointments and major contracting within the newly created revenue authority, drastically reducing independent oversight and checks on executive power. Beyond the concentration of state power, workers have raised urgent alarms over the loss of critical public service protections: existing BTS employees would forfeit hard-won safeguards including pension security, oversight from the independent Public Service Commission, and binding guarantees of continued employment. The lack of clear, written commitments from the government and BTS management on these issues has left workers in deep uncertainty over their future under the proposed restructuring.
Outside BTS offices across the country, protesters chanted “Kill the bill” in unified demonstration of their demands. PSU First Vice President Anissa Perdomo confirmed that Wednesday’s walkout is only the opening act of sustained opposition if the government moves forward with the current version of the legislation. “Our message today is kill the bill. Even if the bill is not scrapped entirely, it needs fundamental, sweeping revision,” Perdomo stated. “Our staff has made it abundantly clear: this will not be the last time you see us out here protesting.”
The controversial legislation is already scheduled for consideration by the Belizean Senate, and union leaders have launched a targeted lobbying campaign to convince independent social partner senators to vote down the proposal. The government has already signaled it could push the bill through by framing it as a necessary money bill tied to core fiscal governance, but Flowers warned that such a move would only spark broader public pushback. “If the government tries to ram this through despite widespread worker opposition, that is when the broader Belizean public will have to stand up and make their voices heard,” Flowers said. As the Senate prepares to take up the measure, union leaders are calling on all Belizeans to closely monitor lawmakers’ upcoming votes and actions, making clear that their campaign to block or revise the bill is just getting underway.