After a year of consultations and negotiations the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) have agreed on the benefits packages for the Chief Executive Officer and the two most senior officers of the commission.
At the next sitting of the National Assembly, Chairman of the PAC, Irfaan Ali is scheduled to move a motion for the adoption of the terms and conditions of the Chief Executive Officer, the Head of Operations and the Head of Corporate Services of the PPC.
The packages being offered appear to be significantly larger than those which were first proposed in June last year with the CEO set to receive a salary of $950,000 per month.
The candidate will also receive a gratuity of 22 ½ percent of their gross salary paid semi-annually, an entertainment allowance of $10,000 per month and telephone allowance of $15,000 per month. They are also to be provided with 35 days annual leave, vacation allowance equivalent to one month’s salary and 24-hour security at place of residence.
Meanwhile, the two departmental heads will receive a salary of $600,000 per month, gratuity of 22 ½ percent of gross salary paid semi-annually, entertainment allowance of $10,000 per month and telephone allowance of $15,000 per month. They will also be provided with 28 days annual leave and vacation allowance equivalent to one month’s salary.
Last June, Ali had told this newspaper that the committee had submitted a recommendation on benefits to the PPC for comment but had received no feedback.
Stabroek News understands that among the recommendations were that the CEO be paid no more than $700,000 a month, while the Head of Corporate Services and Head of Operations were to be paid no more than $500,000 a month.
The PPC however had been seeking a larger package which was not approved. PPC Chairman Carol Corbin said in September that she did not know the reason why the proposed remuneration and benefits for the CEO were rejected but surmised that maybe “What we were proposing was maybe exorbitant.”
She had committed to scaling down the benefits and resubmitting a new proposal.
As a result of these decisions the position of CEO which had first been advertised in 2016 was re-advertised in October.
At the time of the 2016 advertisements the PPC stated that it would be unable to begin its work until these positions were filled.
Jamaican national Craig Beresford, who is currently Head of the Strategic Management Division of Caricom, had been tipped to be the first Chief Executive Officer of the PPC. Beresford, who acted briefly as Jamaica’s Contractor General, would have assumed the post if he won parliamentary approval.
Among the PPC’s key functions, according to the Procurement Act, are to monitor and review the functioning of all procurement systems to ensure that they are in accordance with the law, and monitor the performance of procurement bodies with respect to adherence to regulations and efficiency in procuring goods and services and execution of works.
