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RDC practices encourage hiring of friends & family

Apr 15, 2018 News

The decision by Regional Democratic Councils (RDCs) has opened the door to the hiring of family and friends associated with the regional officials.
Revelations from the ongoing Public Accounts Committee (PAC) indicate that some RDCs have not been advertising vacancies within the RDC and the wider community.
Kim Williams-Stephen, the REO of Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) recently revealed that the region undertook to hire new staff by reverting to a file with previously submitted applications.
She said that this was done for the hiring of two drivers for the David ‘G’ buses among other new employees of the region.
PAC Chairman, Irfaan Ali, questioned the hiring of 13 persons, specifically how the Region was able to hire a sluice attendant based on applications on file.
“Part of our responsibility is to ensure there is a fair and transparent process and everyone had the same opportunity and access for the positions,” Ali noted.
The REO admitted that persons were hired with no internal or public advertisements.
A similar situation occurred when the REO of Region Five (Mahaica/Berbice), Ovid Morrison, took the decision to promote a driver, Frank Wilson, to the post of Regional Transport Officer.
The Region was given approval by the Public Service Ministry to widely advertise the vacancy of transport officer, but REO did not and decided to promote Wilson to the post in February.
Auditors had raised concerns as Wilson, in his substantive position as a driver, was overseeing millions of dollars of state monies by signing off on the Region’s fuel purchases and vehicle repairs.
PAC member, Juan Edghill, expressed concerns about the flawed hiring practices.
“It means that I could get my family and friends and political supporters to write an application to an institution even before a vacancy exists.
“Then I create the vacancy and rather than advertising for all to see to provide equal opportunity and equal access, I go to a file for a few that I have contacted. And I select my persons and give them the job; not only give them a job but promote them as is the case with Mr. Wilson,” Edghill stated.
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Parliamentarian noted that the situation is also troubling since there are many young people who are qualified, coming out of universities and other tertiary level institutions adequately skilled and are not getting jobs.
“This Government is hiring people without advertising vacancies contrary to their own policy where they said they will reduce contract employees and put everybody on the fixed establishments.
“We are discovering cases in large portions where they are hiring people without advertising,” he noted.

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