Ameen: 847 Local Government vacancies being gradually filled

News Sean Douglas An Hour Ago

Minister of Rural Development and Local Government, Khadijah Ameen. - Photo by Faith Ayoung

MINISTER of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen said her ministry has 847 vacancies, as she mulled the various ways in which these were gradually getting filled, addressing the House of Representatives' Standing Finance Committee on October 21.

Replying to questioning by Diego Martin North East MP Colm Imbert, she said many posts would be filled by the Public Services Commission (PSC).

Ameen said this fiscal year, she expected some 50-60 positions in different salary ranges to be filled.

Imbert reckoned a $3 million allocation was inadequate to pay to fill those 50-60 posts.

Ameen quipped, "Right now, I don't know if I am even getting these 50 or 60 positions."

She later reiterated that the PSC was responsible for filling the 50-60 positions, of which some but not all would be funded by the ministry's short-term vote.

"This allocation will be sufficient to pay the short-term we intend to hire."

Regarding contract work in her ministry, Ameen noted 438 posts of which 157 were vacant. "Some of the 157, we are doing interviews."

She remarked that 50 additional municipal police officers have been hired.

At one point, Imbert asked how many out of some 368 temporary posts were expected to be converted into permanent posts.

Ameen said this was variable, as some programmes under which such posts fell were permanent and some were temporary. "Some posts are more permanent in nature," she added.

Opposition MPs challenged the minister about the impact of the government's new landlord surcharge and electricity surcharge on local government spending.

Ameen expected landlords leasing to the government to absorb the surcharge. Imbert scoffed, "That's what you think!"

San Fernando East MP Brian Manning asked if the budget's higher allocation for the ministry's electricity bill was to pay for "the draconian electricity surcharge."

Ameen replied, "Good grief!", then told Manning it was in fact to pay for arrears accrued in past years.