Accusations against Transport and Harbours Department

Oct 12, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor;
We the concerned employees of T&HD would like to express our view on several matters that we think are wrong; that are taking place in the department.
1. People are being promoted without the necessary qualifications and experience and are friends of the senior staff. Only staff within that circle are being promoted – drinking pals of the seniors.
2. The big ones are employing their family members and friends and outsiders who are applying for jobs are told there is no vacancy, but finding and creating jobs for their family members and friends. For example one of the big wigs has a brother working on a boat; another, a son in the central workshop and a cousin, in the office in the workshop.
We want to know if this government department is a private or a public department. It reminds us of the PPP as one writer puts it; it’s a party for friends and family. So we the concerned employees want to know if T&HD is like that. A lot of things are happening at the department. We will highlight them.
The selling of priority passes. Priority pass is for Government, members of the Diplomatic Corp, senior officers of the Joint Services, etc. What has been happening is that Tom, Dick and Harry are coming for passes and paying between $10,000 to $25,000 for a pass – this needs to be investigated.
Monies are being deducted from the salaries of staff and not paid over to NIS. When staff members go to NIS to query about benefits, they are told that for months the department has not paid any contribution on their behalf. Same is being done for credit unions deductions. All this can be considered as terrible wrongs being committed by the T&HD and should be stopped.
There are some staff members who are claiming monies for working through lunch when in fact they do not work. Staff involved should be made to repay same or be dismissed. Senior staff members are part of it (it’s a ring). Some staff members are untouchable because they are close to the senior staff.
Customers shipping goods to the North West are being harassed by staff. They are told that if they want the goods to go on the boat they have to pay. Customers suffer a lot through theft when the boat reaches North West. Goods are missing.
An officer in charge was removed by the previous Minister (Benn) for corrupt practices, yet this person was sent back there after the PPP lost the elections in 2015. She and a certain person are best of friends, or what the old people say ‘hand in glove’; they are drinking pals.
A senior staff is very insulting, telling employees all sorts of things, calling them names, like hard head, thief etc. We the staff cannot take it anymore.
The fuel and drugs are big businesses. Drugs are being shipped on the boat to the North West District. Customers and employees are in collusion.
We want to see the Police and CANU come and search the boat before sail every time. Drugs will be found. With the fuel; illegal fuel comes from the North West District on the boat in seven and five gallon containers. Police and GEA officials need to come when the boat returns from the North West District and search it before customers get the goods off. Sometimes you may get one or two drums.
There are staff members who retire and come back in the same positions; this is unacceptable. For example, the Shore Chief returned and he is back in the same position. The officer in charge of Parika is about to retire and he too is coming back in that position. The Chief Stores Keeper (CSK) retired and she is back.
Some seniors are aware of a lot of things but playing blind, deaf and dumb on them. We know they are part of the wrong doings that are taking place at the department.
The present system is keeping down young qualified staff.
It is time for the government to act. It is the tax payers’ monies running the T&HD. The department does not make money; it’s not a profit making department. It depends on money from the government to keep it afloat and that money is the tax payers’ money.
We the concerned staff would like to see a forensic audit into T&HD. A lot of audit taking place; what about T&HD? We are calling on the President and the Ministers to help save T&HD now! Too much wrong things are taking place. It has become a money making organization.
Concerned employees

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Accusations against Transport and Harbours Department

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