The allocation for security services for the Ministry of Education has dropped by $21 million in one programme and increased by about $5 million in another following a reduction of the rates for daily and weekend services provided by the current contracted security firm, Minister of Education Nicolette Henry says.
During Wednesday’s scrutiny of the allocations to the Ministry of Education’s current and capital estimates, Henry said the reduction of the allocation of $90.5 million in 2018 to $69.5 million in 2019 for policy development and administration current expenditure is due to the 2018 weekday rate of $450 and weekend and overtime rates of $675 being reduced to $285 for the weekday and $570 for weekend and overtime, respectively, in 2019.
The reduced rate, she said, took effect from March 1st, 2018. With the exception of a few buildings, she said, the security caters for 24-hour coverage.