Dear Editor,
We write on the above with much annoyance and frustration towards the Region 3 Administration. A few ranks (seven to be precise) of the about 180 security personnel, protested at our office, and were quite vociferous in their demand for payments for the month of February, 2012, for certain sites in the Region 3 Administration. It will be useful to note that we no longer serve these locations or any in the Government’s Regional Security System.
Indeed they were not paid up to the time of writing (for a period we had served before being relieved) due to the fact, and as usual, the Region 3 Administration was late in its payment. It is now past the middle of March 2012, and we have not been paid for January, 2012. As a result we were forced to borrow millions to pay our workers for January and February 2012, all at expensive bank interest. Our workers in the Region are quite poor people, who use this work to supplement themselves and families. This is most unfair. Region 3 needs to get its act together in order to ensure the ranks are paid.
Of course, they should have made contact with us, and together we, inclusive of the undersigned would have gone to the Region 3 Administration and protested together, and also to the Ministry of Local Government.
The Region 3 Administration, the REO and its operations seem addicted to late payments, and seem to enjoy frustrating workers. Many times one cannot get the relevant officers, especially the current REO to discuss matters. These honoured officers in their honourable offices of the Region 3 Administration have to understand, the people in the security industry are very poor people, and they need to be paid in a timely manner. Due to usual delays, we calculated and arranged to pay the workers on a special day, with their approval to facilitate the Regional Administrations. Anything beyond this is inhuman, unreasonable and unfair. While we are no longer serving these regions, including Region 3, it will be unfair to the new service providers to suffer the same fate of late payments.
The workers, hence, have a right to be frustrated and annoyed, even though the few may vent their feelings against the wrong people. Us in this case. I was prepared to protest with them against the REO’s Office of Region 3 and the Ministry of Local Govern-ment.
Special note to the GRA and NIS scheme: RK’s no longer serves the Regional Administration in Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. As a result our contributions for taxes and NIS will diminish vastly. Our VAT , PAYE and NIS contributions have been properly remitted for the years we served. Both entities are welcome to check our records again and verify. Some entities tendering for Government Contracts are known to take the VAT and NIS for themselves, contrary to law. The various revenue entities should ensure that all persons awarded Government contracts, make the relevant contributions. One way to ensure that workers are protected and the GRA gets its VAT and PAYE, and the NIS its proper contributions, is to have the relevant Ministries immediately upon the award always forward lists of contractors, showing the VAT that should be paid, and listing the number of employees contracted and the firm awarded.
Yours faithfully,
Roshan Khan
CEO/Founder
RK’s Security
