by Linda Straker
- Most transition leads whose contracts concluded in September reassigned as advisors
- Cost to Government was EC$225,000 funded by Technical Assistance Fund
- Prime Minister chairs Expression of Interest Committee responsible for vetting and selecting board members
Retirees were among the individuals hired by the Dickon Mitchell administration to be transition leads, advisors or associated staff at various government ministries and departments when it was elected to office on 23 June 2022.
Most of the transition leads whose contracts concluded at the end of September are now reassigned as advisors to Government. A complete list of names, allowances and compensation was not provided to the Lower House of Parliament, in response to questions submitted by Opposition Leader Dr Keith Mitchell.
Ten questions were submitted to Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell who is also the Minister for Finance, and while partial answers were provided in written format, there are no answers for some of the questions.
Among the questions were: “What are the ages, salaries, allowances, other forms of compensation or benefits and responsibilities associated with each advisor and or transition lead and associated support staff for each Ministry and Department in the Public Sector hired from 23 June 2022?”
The answer said that the ages ranged from 45 to 65 but there is no breakdown of allowances, other forms of compensation, and their responsibilities. The answer provided only outlined the monthly fee paid to the advisors and or transition leads and associated staff hired and the total cost to the Government.
The complete list of transition leads, advisors and the associated staff was given as former parliamentarians Ann Peters and Franka Alexis-Bernardine as well as Willan Thompson, Orlando Romain, Faye Thompson, Gemma Bain-Thomas, Hugh Thomas, Learrie Barry, Andrea St Bernard, Deborah St Bernard, Sally-Ann Logie, Joyce Thomas-Peter, Stephen Fletcher, Patrick Simmons, and Richard Duncan.
The answer sheet also disclosed that the total payment cost to the Government was EC$225,000 and the direct funding source was the Technical Assistance Fund in the Ministry of Finance.
The Opposition Leader also enquired about selecting people to statutory boards. The written response said that the Prime Minister chairs an Expression of Interest Committee which is responsible for vetting and selecting board members.
Since 1885, the European powers met at the “Berlin Conference”and establish rules to thief Black people resources, and divide among the western nations for economic, political and religious reasons so their generation after generation can flourish, whilst the rest of this planet struggles to survive or decimate.
We are the most religious people on earth, deeply mistrusted and live in deplorable conditions. For the first time, we need to collaborate, focus our attention on this beautiful country, and protect our authentic people from manipulation – with all our energy, let the spirit of Maurice Bishop lives!
Lemme see… $225k for 15 people averages to $15k each (for several months of work). Thats nothing…. How about we compare that to what Keith was paying his cronies? That would be more newsworthy than this…