Dear Editor,
The Public Service Minister recently announced that persons joining the Public Service would not have to wait until after three months for them to access their first pay cheque, but would have their salaries payable at the end of the first month.
I have known persons that had to wait for as long as five months and more before they were paid. One would now wonder why this new system of payment was not introduced long before as it is certainly a welcome action for which the Ministry and by extension the Government, must be commended for.
A few weeks ago I visited a government department in Region Two as early as 8:45 a.m. to see a public official, only to be told that of the three persons that work in the office, none was available because they are all in the field. I enquired diligently from the receptionist or secretary as to the time these officers were likely to be back at the office and her reply was that she would not be able to say. I then asked if I could access their cell phone numbers so as to ascertain from them the time they were likely to be back in office.
The young lady went upstairs without giving me the officers’ numbers, which I may never be certain she knew, but when she returned she gave me the number for the office and advised that I call the next time I am coming to the office. I suspect that when the young lady went upstairs she may have spoken to one or all of the officers. I am sure that other members of the public would have shared a similar experience when visiting that public office particularly on Monday morning. I am refraining for now from naming the government office in question, but if the powers that be are interested and I am contacted, I will willingly do so.
I am not sure that if you have three officers attached to an office, that all three of them should be in the field at the same time knowing fully well that Mondays at most offices would be business day, and as for Region Two, Fridays also.
There are other government offices where this negative pattern of behaviour also takes place.
For persons having to travel from way up and down the Pomeroon River and also from far up the Supenaam Creek to these offices, only to be told that all the officers are in the field and no one seems to be certain when they would be back, is grossly unprofessional and uncaring.
In the private sector these things don’t happen.
Yours faithfully,
Archie W. Cordis
