Does Uncle Tom and Devany know the meaning of CHANGE???
Contract workers skyrocket in every ministry except foreign, legal affairs
– Govt wage bill costing taxpayers 147% more
Revelations have surfaced showing that the number of contract workers skyrocketed under the new A
Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change Government even though it has being in the executive office for a mere eight months.
This revelation is being made even though the government has denied claims that there is a substantive change.
Despite criticising the previous administration of undermining the public service and of paying contractual employees “fat cat” salaries, information have revealed that the number of contract workers under the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) government not only inflated by 16 per cent but that the total employment cost for all the ministries have amounted to a humungous $30.5 billion.
In fact, contract employees have escalated in all ministries except for the Foreign Affairs and Legal Affairs Ministries with the Office of the Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo capitalising on a 73 per cent increase in the number of contract workers who are budgeted to pocket a total of approximately $82 million at the end of the year; an increase of over 280 per cent as opposed to the 2015.
According to sources, some of these contract employees are working in various regions and are collecting hefty sums through the Prime Minister’s office.
For the Ministry of Presidency, contract employees have jumped from 298 to 505; Finance Ministry from 162 to 167; Indigenous Affairs Ministry from 72 to 79; Agriculture Ministry from 248 to 274; Tourism Ministry from 31 to 40; Business Ministry from 30 to 40; Natural Resources Ministry from 38 to 56; Public Infrastructure Ministry from 271 to 294; Education Ministry from 601 to 691; Communities Ministry form 55 to 62; Public Health Ministry from 1303 to 1400; Social Protection Ministry from 369 to 371 and Public Security Ministry from 239 to 248 while the newly introduced Public Telecommunication Ministry contracted 122 employees.
Consequently, the total employment cost for all of the Ministries climbed from around $12 billion to in excess of $30 billion; a radical increase of 147 per cent when compared to the previous year.
Moreover, though there is a decrease in the number of contract workers for the Foreign Affairs and Legal Affairs Ministries, the employment costs have risen by a considerable 8 per cent.
Insulting to public servants
Contacted for a comment, Opposition parliamentarian and economist Irfaan Ali pointed out that clearly, the refutation by the government is far from reality.
He also noted that the issue goes far beyond the bloating of the contractual employment.
“For a matter of fact, not only is there a significant increase in contractual employment, there is also significant increases in salaries. What is important to note is that there is no indication of the new positions created and the process utilised by government in filling those positions. What structure of salary was used in determining the pay-scale against their qualifications,” Ali stated.
Switching to the his political cap, the former government minister declared that this move by the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition administration is insulting to the public sector workers who were denied wage increases this year.
“The public servants did not get their promised increases and for us to hire contractual employees at such a significant number and paying them outside of the pay-scale; what does that say. Persons who were working for a number of years who did not benefit from any major increases but persons are now entering the system as contractual employees and they are enjoying super-salaries,” Ali posited as he exposed the discriminatory approach being practiced by the government.
Memory-lane
In April 2012, APNU Parliamentarian Carl Greenidge had accused the then government of systematically destroying the public service by increasing the number of contract workers and paying them “fat-cat” salaries.
APNU Parliamentarian Basil Williams had also argued that government was spending exorbitant amounts to pay contract workers and demanded that the practice be ceased immediately.