OP re-employs DFID-funded staffer

Feb 25, 2011 News

While not being able at the time to confirm the emolument of Consultant at Office of the President, Steven Grin, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon, yesterday said that he would not be surprised if indeed the man’s salary was in the vicinity of US$14,000 per month.
Dr Luncheon explained that Grin’s employment is a continuation of a Department For International Development (DFID)-financed short-term appointment.
DFID is United Kingdom’s foreign financed assistance programme.
As is the case with Norway and the Clinton Foundation, DFID was funding Mr Grin, who held a consultancy post in the Project Management under the Office of Climate Change.
With the end of Grin’s contract, DFID ceased salary payments. Dr Luncheon said that the Guyana Government was satisfied with Grin’s work and the government took over the payment of his salaries.
“If DFID financed him at that level, I see no reason to decide on a level that is not consistent with his qualification, and we were not prepared to revisit the appropriateness of his condition.” Dr Luncheon explained that Grin is employed at OP as the focal point in the Project Management Office (PMO) under the Office of Climate Change.
He said that most of Grin’s work concentrates on the delivery of projects and objectives for which GRIF (Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund) funding has been identified.
He explained that projects have been identified and will continue when the GRIF fund is available, and Grin’s job is “to ensure that the projects are implemented,”
Dr Luncheon explained that before the creation of the PMO there was no GRIF, and REDD+ projects were designed with GRIF funding being available.
Grin started work at OP at the beginning of the process, and according to Dr Luncheon, a number of external agencies following the Norwegian example, provided help to Guyana, such as DFID and the Clinton Foundation.
The Head of the Presidential Secretariat said that, “DFID offered his services to us and after that engagement came to an end, and DFID did not extend (the contract), we took it over.”
In a communication between Nanda Gopaul, the Permanent Secretary of the Office of the President, and Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, there is a request for US$14, 618 as payment for the expatriate consultant.
In a memo seen by this newspaper it states:
“Dear Minister,
Re: Request for Releases: Office of the President
Reference is hereby made to the abovementioned subject.
Please be informed that the Administration of the Office of the President is hereby requesting the urgent release of funds to pay consultancy fees for the month of December 2010 to Mr. Steven Grin, in the sums of United States Currency fourteen thousand six hundred and eighteen dollars (US $14,618.00) respectively.”
This payment falls within the 2011 budget for the Ministry of Finance under the heading ‘Other’, which is covered in the estimates of Public Sector. This category has a budgeted figure of $35M.

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OP re-employs DFID-funded staffer

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