$48 million in gratuity for five former Public Procurement Commissioners

Two years after the life of the last Public Procurement Commission (PPC) expired, the state will make some $48M in the payment of gratuity to the five former Commissioners.

The pay-out is expected to be done sometime this week following a decision taken at the Public Accounts Committee last year.

Those who will benefit include Emily Dodson, Carol Corbin, Sukrishnalall Pasha, Ivor Burnette English and former Minister of Labour Nanda Kishore Gopaul.

The gratuity is being paid for the period 2016 to 2019 and calculated at 22 and a half for every six months of employment. The Chairman, Carol Corbin, whose contract was extended to 2020 will benefit from that extended period.

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.

Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Jermaine Figueira said he was disappointed to learn Monday that the payments were not done as intended for the Christmas holidays.

Pasha, now Finance Secretary, explained that although the monies are available for the payment, it could not be done as he awaited correspondence from the PAC informing him that the decision was taken.

“The Committee should send me a note with the decision from me to action. I don’t think that was done but the funds are available,” Pasha said.

It was later realised that the decision was sent to Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Gail Texiera in a previously established process for oversight in the expenditure of the PPC.

Texiera said she could not authorise the spending, especially from funds that the PPC set aside for employment and other charges.

Pasha advised that although not budgeted for, the payments will be made.