Govt. to pay $48M gratuity to former PPC Commissioners

Jan 04, 2022 News

Kaieteur News – The Government is expected to pay out approximately $48M owed to members of the last Public Procurement Commission (PPC). The decision was announced at the first sitting of the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) held yesterday.

Third from left: Former President David Granger flanked by the members of the last PPC.

According to Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Jermaine Figueira, the decision to pay the five commissioners was made since last year, and was intended to be disbursed before the Christmas holiday.
Figueira said, that he was “quite disappointed,” to learn at the meeting that the payments were not disbursed. The issue was raised by Opposition PAC member David Patterson.
Patterson requested that the matter be dealt with as soon as possible. Figueira noted that the PAC was informed of the status of the payments by one of the former commissioners.
“I’m aware that the Clerk of the Committee wrote to the Clerk of the National Assembly, informing him of the decision of the payment for those commissioners, so we really need to have an update with regard to where we are with that,”
Former PPC commissioner and now Finance Secretary, Sukrishnalall Pasha, explained that although the monies are available for the payment, it could not be done.
Pasha said that he was awaiting official correspondence from the PAC informing him that the decision was taken.
“The Committee should send me a note with the decision for me to take action. I don’t think that was done but the funds are available…,” Pasha said.
Pasha advised that although not budgeted for, the payments will be made. The payout is expected to be done sometime this week.
Members of the Public Procurement Commission were sworn in by President David Granger in 2016.
The PPC was charged to uphold the sacrosanct tenets of the Constitution and to be independent, impartial and fair in the execution of their duties.
Emily Dodson, Carol Corbin, Sukrishnalall Pasha, Ivor Burnette English and former Minister of Labour, Nanda Kishore Gopaul, took the Oath of Office before the President.
Under their terms of contract, the PPC members are entitled to gratuity being paid for the period 2016 to 2019.
Kaieteur News understands that the payments were not made on schedule because while other benefits like duty free were previously agreed on by the PAC, there was no deliberation and decision on gratuity.