The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

THE government should explain why senior public servants recently received a 58 per cent increase in their responsibility allowance, according to Matt Aubry, Executive Director of the Organization for Responsible Governance.

Cabinet approved an increase in the little-known allowance on November 22nd.

Mr Aubry acknowledged the need to compensate employees adequately but called on the government to be transparent and accountable, saying successive administrations have failed to develop a clear public service strategy.

“I think ultimately what we would look at is and then this goes in line with what the current government talked about in their blueprint for change,” he said. “They talked about having public service that is open and accountable and transparent and they also talked about having reformed the public service in a way that drives the level of productivity. So, understanding how these allowances are utilized would be critical, having greater transparency and understanding the investment against what the return is, and having more clear process.”

State Minister for Public Service Pia Glover-Rolle tabled a document showing the allowance increases in the House of Assembly on Wednesday. She said the allowance is paid to officers “that are required to undertake duties that require a greater degree of skill or responsibility associated with the post.”

According to the document, the secretary to the cabinet receives a $24k responsibility allowance per year, up from $18,000. The financial secretary receives a $22k allowance, up from $16k.

The auditor general, police commissioner and defence force commodore all receive a $20k allowance, up from $14k.

Seventy-three government officials receive the allowance overall.

Twenty-six of them received a $5000 allowance, the lowest amount given to any official.

Mr Aubry said a revised national development plan would allow people to better understand what is happening in the public service.

“There was a 2018 IDB (Inter-American Development Bank) report that was on the positive state of the public service in the Bahamas,” he said.

“That noted the potential power and importance of having an overall and clear and transparent plan, like the National Development Plan.

“Also, having greater consistency in terms of the way compensation is utilized across the board so that there’s greater understanding and consistency across ministries, across positions, and it becomes a pathway where the public, if they have questions, can understand how their monies are being invested.”

“It then balances that against what the level of service or the level of productivity that’s coming out of those investments, but it also gives those public servants within the system an understanding of what and how they can move through the process.”