– says Jordan

WITH Christmas proverbially just around the corner, Finance Minister Winston Jordan has said the chances of public servants receiving a bonus as they did last year are “very slim”.

Speaking just after the presentation of the 2017 National Budget in the National Assembly on Monday, the Finance Minister said the APNU+AFC Administration would love to pay a bonus to all public servants, but at the moment there is no evidence of money being available to do so.

“Well, we’d love to, once we could find money to do bonus,” said Jordan. Last year, the administration paid a $50,000 Christmas bonus to all public servants.
That was the first time that public servants across-the-board received a Christmas bonus. In the past, only members of the Joint Services were given a month’s salary untaxed.

While, the minister disclosed the slim possibility that public servants would benefit from a similar payout, efforts are ongoing to see what is possible in this regard.

“I think what happened this year is that we paid a slightly bigger salary than last year overall, and also I think we took on some more numbers… I think the security service, in a sense, took away what we could have had to (give as) bonuses.

“We are still looking, but at this stage it is a very slim possibility. Up to last night, when we were doing numbers, I was hoping to find something; but, like I said, we took on a few people in the Security Sector and their bill has to be added up.”

The minister acknowledged his recognition that public servants are eagerly awaiting Government’s announcement of another Christmas bonus, but he stressed that “at this stage, (there is a) very slim, very slim possibility”.

Additionally, Minister Jordan made it clear that if the administration is going to make a payout to public servants before Christmas, it would be across-the-board, and not only to members of the disciplined services.

“Nurses don’t work for as much money as (members of the) disciplined services or teachers… [It is] difficult to single out certain categories of workers…everybody works hard, and like I’ve said, if we could find (the money), then everybody — not just the army and so on — (would get).”