UPDATE | New salaries for councillors to be paid this month - Finance Minister

Finance Minister Dr Nigel Clarke says arrangements are being made for the new salaries for councillors and mayors to be paid this month, along with the arrears for the period April 2023 - June 2023.

He says efforts will be made to have the arrears for the period April 2022 - March 2023 paid in August.

Dr Clarke's statement follows concerns raised today by councillors in the St Catherine and Clarendon municipal corporations.

Chairman of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation, Norman Scott, called for the Government to pay salary increases and outstanding sums due to councillors under the restructured compensation system for public sector workers. 

"I am seeing where members of parliament have received their increases nearly three months ago and still nothing for us. We need it now," Scott said at today's sitting of the Corporation's monthly meeting.

But Dr Clarke said the process of conversion to the new salaries he announced in Parliament in May 16 has been ongoing. 

"Once the new salary levels were determined municipal authorities would have been requested to complete the relevant data capture forms so that conversion to the new salary structure could be done," he told The Gleaner on Thursday afternoon. "The data capture files began to be returned to the TIU (Transformation Implementation Unit) starting in mid-June. However, the process to finalise these data capture sheets for some Municipalities were completed this week."

Chief Executive Officer of the St Catherine Municipal Corporation, Andre Griffiths, told the councillors today that his office has sent a request to the Minister of Local Government and is yet to get a definitive reply.

Scott, who is the Mayor of Spanish Town, then requested that Griffiths write to the financial secretary in the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service regarding the matter. "We are seeking an answer by tomorrow to see when we will get a directive on where we are with the issue," he said. 

Clarendon Councillor Delroy Dawson, of the Aenon Town division, blasted the Holness administration as "profile Government" that "deh pan whole heap a big talk an' nutten behind it". 

Scean Barnswell, the councillor for the Hayes division, also expressed displeasure over non-payment of salary increases. 

Barnswell also questioned the position of  the Association of Local Government Authorities of Jamaica, which is headed by Winston Maragh, the chairman of the Clarendon municipal corporation. 

Maragh said the costing was done and submitted to the Ministry of Local Government. 

"It is our understanding that... submission was made to the Ministry of Finance, and they (Local Government Ministry) are now awaiting the Ministry of Finance," he said. 

Under the new compensation system, councillors' salaries moved from $1.7 million per annum, to $5 million as at April 1. They will earn $5.7 million as of next April.

A mayor's pay has increased from $3.3 million to $7.7 million. It will climb to approximately $10 million next year. The salaries for the mayors of Kingston and Montego are slightly higher. 

 The arrears emerged because the policy is effective from April 2022. 

Government has been widely criticised for the massive increase for politicians. But the administration says the increases are justified to reward performance and retain quality workers. 

- Olivia Brown and Rasbert Turner 

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