BREAKING: Salaries available for Public Security Ministry agencies

Last Updated on Wednesday, 24 October 2018, 14:38 by Denis Chabrol

Salaries for fire fighters, prison guards and most  other state agencies under the Ministry of Public Security are now available, a senior ministry official said Wednesday.

The official said the “issue has been resolved” and the cheques have been sent to the banks.

The Public Security Ministry official said those who receive salaries through Republic Bank should receive payments on Wednesday.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security had informed the Heads of the Prison Service, Fire Service, Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit, Juvenile Holding Facility and Police Complaints Authority that October 2018 salaries would have been delayed due to “insufficient funds” as a result of the employment of additional staff.

However, Minister of Finance Winston Jordan later told government’s Department of Public Information that the delay in paying salaries to those agencies had been due to a glitch in the system.

Jordan explained that the Ministry of Public Security’s payroll was released from the Ministry of Finance on Thursday, October 18.

He further explained that a request for 6141 and Virements was received the following day, with insufficient information. A request for additional information was satisfied after 17:00 hrs. and a letter for Budget approval sent to the Director of Budget on Monday, October 22. Approval was granted, and the funds released the same day.

Attempts to import the payroll on Tuesday, October 23 highlighted several errors resulting from incorrect postings during the year. According to the Minister, staff worked into the night to correct the detected errors. Staff of the ministry of Public Security were unable to assist in the process with necessary explanations despite being provided with tables and demonstrations from the technical staff of the Ministry of Finance, for hours. The result therefore was the inability to process the Ministry of Public Security’s payroll to date.

Minister Jordan has assured that the processing of the payroll will continue today, October 24, 2018 with staff of the Ministry of Finance working with those of the Ministry of Public Security to rectify all errors and ensure salaries are paid to the joint services.

The agencies affected include Guyana Prison Service and the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU).