Straughn: $1 500 available

Between yesterday and the end of today all public servants who are eligible should be seeing that payment of $1 500 promised to them by Government.

Minister in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs Ryan Straughn made that disclosure last night during the supplementary Estimates in the House.

“We were able to reach an agreement with the unions to give public servants not just a salary increase but for this particular fiscal year to be able to execute and give every public servant $1 500 as part of the wage settlement agreement.

“There is some $59 million allocated across a range of payments for both central Government and state-owned enterprises to be able to deliver that $1 500 per public officer,” he said.

He said though that all will not receive the full $1 500.

“There is a component as part of what was agreed to be able to ensure that for those persons for whom National Insurance applied will see that the 103 contributions are there . . . . If persons check their accounts today Sir, tomorrow you should see that small piece of change into your accounts.”

He said that with the payments being made in real time it should be on people’s accounts today.

“If per chance it is not there it has nothing to do with me in particular,” he said, laughing.

During the Budgetary Proposals Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley said that the $1 500 would be paid this week before the start of the new fiscal year on April 1. (NS)