Speaking on Wednesday in the National Assembly as the Consideration of the 2010 Estimates of Expenditure got underway, the Prime Minister disclosed that the $7,214,000 budgeted for the Statutory Wages and Salaries for the Ombudsman’s Office was in fact to pay this official.
Asked how soon there will be a new Ombudsman, the Prime Minister response was “as soon as we have a good candidate”. He later confirmed that the administration was actively searching for an Ombudsman for the last two years. It was noted that the administration had suddenly begun making provisions for this official last year and in 2010 after not doing so in 2008.
When asked by PNCR-1G MP Winston Murray if the position had been advertised or this was about to be done, Hinds said that this approach will be considered. This year a sum of $12,954,000 has been budgeted for expenses associated with the Office of the Ombudsman.
Since the last Ombudsman, Justice Shaik Y. Mohamed, demitted office early in 2005, no one has been appointed. Last year, a total figure of $13,099,000 million had been budgeted for the running of the as Office of the Ombudsman. This included a total of $7,214,000 budgeted for wages and salaries to be paid to this official.
The Ombudsman’s role is to investigate alleged injustices meted out to persons in society due to a fault in administration.
