Public sector workers in St. Vincent and the Grenadines are being called upon to up their game in light of the nation’s high wage bill.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, presenting the Estimates in Parliament last week, noted that wages and salaries for central government employees will increase this year by EC$7.3 million, or 2.7 per cent.
Pensions and NIS are up by 6.1 million or 10.5 per cent.
“Notice the increase in one year… It’s a huge increase,” Gonsalves said, adding that wages and salaries in the central government amounts to EC$281.8 million of the EC$912,897,311 Budget to be tabled in Parliament on Feb. 22.
“I want that number to sink in and that’s why I’m asking our public servant and all categories of workers, please, give the people of St. Vincent and the Grenadines value for the money what we’re spending. At all levels, in all areas: public servants, police, nurses, doctors teachers, casual workers,” Gonsalves said.
“We know that you do a good job and I want to tell you, but I am asking you, particularly in challenging times, to up your game. It’s a lot of money we are spending: 281.8 million dollars,” he said.
If they don’t suddenly shape up to match the efficiency of the goverrment team, make them to take a pay cut.
The PM is missing the point. There are too many public servants in SVG. The miniscule private sector cannot continue to bear this burden for much longer. And stepping up their game is just a poor slogan of hot air that means NOTHING. The PM must take steps to motivate private entrepreneurs to invest in jobs creation so that the nation’s graduates would have an alternative to public sector employment. Otherwise, the nation will be choked to death by the patronage, cronyism, nepotism and paratism of public sector employment.
In a modern world a nation cannot continue to invest in education and expect the graduates to sit on their hands in the public sector.
Vinci Vin
Meanwhile, the private sector is cutting jobs, closing businesses, shutting off water and electricity; those with skills that are needed overseas leave SVG…may as well say it….Ralph is destroying SVG. When you treat the private sector badly you are like a dog that bites the hand that feeds it.
Singapore government does the opposite and they are the wealthiest country on earth!
As an example of where the public sector works are held back…..Go take your car for a test in Argyle and look at the mountain of paper the officers have to wade through to sort out your vehicle’s particulars. It’s archaic and if nothing else a fire hazard.
If you don’t catch up in terms of technology how do you expect SVG to move forward. The public sector workers can only work within the remit of what they have to work with…. Give them the proper tools to do their jobs and the training they need and I am sure you will see them stepping up to the task.
Well said PM., we need to up our services and commitment to our people first. This will be one of the first steps towards progress.