(Jamaica Gleaner) While Minister of Finance Dr Peter Phillips has presented the country with an austerity Budget to reflect the choppy waters the economy is sailing through, it appears that members of the Cabinet are facing no such restraints.
The Sunday Gleaner has confirmed that even as Phillips was tacking on tax to certain basic food items to raise revenue, at least eight members of the Portia Simpson Miller-led Cabinet were busy adding millions annually to the Government’s wage bill.
Information released through access to information requests show the eight Cabinet members committing close to J$100 million annually in wages to some 40 consultants and executive/personal assistants who were hired between January and June of this year.
That figure could grow when the contracts expire, as most have a gratuity clause, usually 25 per cent of basic salary per annum, written into the agreements.
Official documents gleaned under the Access to Information (ATI) Act revealed that the Ministry of Finance and Planning headed by Phillips was responsible for hiring the most advisers and assistants of the eight ministries randomly placed under the microscope.
The documents show that the finance and planning ministry hired nine contract officers to assist Phillips.
The ministry now has a new chief technical adviser, an adviser, a special adviser, a communications adviser, two special assistants, two executive assistants and an administrative assistant – at a cost of J$22.6 million.
All of the advisers and assistants hired by the finance and planning ministry are assigned to the executive office.
According to the documents, the executive office comprises the political directorate, which includes the finance minister and Horace Dalley, minister without portfolio with responsibility for the public service.
Two executive assistants and a special assistant report to Dalley. The other six advisers and assistants report to and are supervised by Phillips.
The Ministry of Education, with its three senior advisers to Minister Ronald Thwaites and a special assistant in the office of the Minister of Education, accounted for the second-largest payout to advisers and consultants.
Sunday Gleaner tabulations put the education ministry’s bill for advisers at J$14.7 million per annum.
Dr Franklin Johnston, one of the senior advisers to Thwaites, collects a J$5 million annual basic salary and travelling allowance of J$738,300, making him the highest paid consultant in the eight ministries under review.
According to the Ministry of Finance, travelling allowances were revised on April 1, 2012 and officers who were receiving J$738,300 per annum have moved up to J$904,428.
When contacted yesterday, Johnston could not immediately say if his travelling allowance was increased.
The justice ministry, with its four advisers and an executive assistant – including a consultant to the permanent secretary – should be forking out no less than J$13.8 million annually for their services.
It was a ding-dong battle between the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce and the Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing, with the former set to pay out J$11.8 million to its five advisers and assistants and the latter is to pay out J$11.9 per annum to its six advisers and assistants in basic salaries and travelling allowances.
One special assistant to the minister of state in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce had his contract period run from January to April.
The security ministry was allowed to employ three consultants at an annual cost of J$4.9 million but was told by the finance ministry that, in one instance, approval was given with the understanding that provisions were made in its existing budget to meet the payment.
The contracts are for between one and three years.
