James E. Knight
Ever since I began working in the Public Service, and had reason for going to the Treasury, I have witnessed people experiencing an agonizing time at that establishment. I witnessed poor people returning over and over before getting some pittance of a wage, sometimes having to pay a bus and buy even drinking water, before returning home empty-handed.
On one occasion, I complained loudly on behalf of such persons, while others of us, whose circumstances were better, stood in line with them, attempting to sort out some money-related issue. That was a long time ago.
Fast forward to 2026. New building; better organized and sophisticated space; modern computer technology; more academically qualified and sharp-looking staff. One should expect less agony. But, alas!
I had a one-year contract with the Ministry of Tourism, from August 2023 to July 2024, for which I was to receive a full salary. Then I was held for another year, from August 2024 to July 2025, for which I was to be paid a very modest retainer. In that first year, I never got a salary deposited to my bank account until the end of January 2024. That is, I was not paid for the first five months. However, I got a salary for two extra months, August and September, when I should have been getting just the retainer. Well a simple subtraction should have solved that. Oh no. I never received a cent for the second contract.
This is the end of March, 2026, and after more than a year, numerous attempts by senior staff of the Ministry of Tourism, and in recent months an intervention by Minister of Finance (who happens to be the Prime Minister) the staff at the Treasury can’t figure out that they owe me three months of salary from the first year (when the two extra payments are subtracted) plus all of the retainer payments for the second year.
As a matter of fact I was told time and time again that they couldn’t even find me in the payroll records in their system; even though I did receive a gratuity for the first year. So for what was the gratuity? Worse yet, is the suggestion now that they may have overpaid me, so that I may owe them instead. Well, where are the records of such payments? Because, in those two years, my bank records don’t indicate any such deposits apart from those nine months of salary which would have been for the first year.
Common sense, grade three maths and computerized records should not allow this sort of ridiculousness to be taking place. Yet, when someone convinced me to go once more to the Treasury, after the Minister of Finance had intervened, I was at first told the same nonsense about there being no record of my existence in their system. After I raised my voice and insisted, it was discovered that there were some cheques for me, and the Payroll Assistant told me to return for them within a few days.
I was reluctant to go back to the Treasury, fearing that I might be told some damned foolishness again, but someone advised me to do so. Horrors! There was a different Payroll Assistant at the window, I did not know the name of the one who had instructed me to return, and nobody could figure out what I was talking about. I was not in the system. I got so angry that I shouted and pounded on the counter. I found it unbelievable that after the Minister’s intervention, and a promise some days prior from a Treasury staff member, that I was still where I was more than a year before.
The police officer put me out of the Treasury and threatened to arrest me, and I controlled my temper only because he had a gun, quite frankly. I’m not asking for a Ford Bronco. I’m simply asking for overdue salary.
The next day I got a call about some cheques. They sent them up to the Ministry of Tourism. I let a day pass to calm my nerves, just in case, and it was the wise thing to do. The cheques were for some small amounts of money that I either forgot about or never even knew about. There was a cheque for a per diem for travelling somewhere in 2017 and little amounts for acting a day or two as Chief Medical Officer etc, all before I worked in the Ministry of Tourism.
Imagine now, when the kindergarten folks finally figure out what they did not put in their tablets, I will then have to explain to them that I am not on any more government contracts since July of 2025, and therefore they need to start paying me my small government pension, retroactively. Will that take another few agonizing years to have figured out? Will they find me in the system? But they can’t walk and chew, let alone walk, chew and breathe. So for now, I just want them to pay me what they owe me from the Ministry of Tourism.
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Mek out partner, now you know how lesser mortals feel. ACLM had a vision for this country yet you all went over and join the evil, corrupt, greedy and incompetent ALP
Hmmm 🤔
Economic powerhouse..
The minister of finance is involved in every aspect, like every aspect of life on this tiny island…
Hmm …Antigua indeed belong to the laborites…. syke!
This didn’t happen to me but reading it, I immediately wanted to pull my own hair out, jump off a cliff, and for the first time feel tempting to hate humans (I have never). So, if I am feeling this vicariously, imagine how you feel as the actual victim. I am sorry.
This is why I constantly use the word dunce generally pertaining to Antigua and Barbuda. It is not only these situations that hurt others but even the arrest and imprisonment of others without a pinch of evidence they should have been charged.
That place scares me, but what is most scary is the fact folks can’t see these incompetence. You will mention how incompetent a bank is, instead of the public motivate the bank to do better, they attack the victim of the bank’s incompetence.
You mention how incompetent a hotel is, food poisoning you, mold in room, door constantly lock and card to access never working, the public/staff will attack you instead of the hotel to push the hotel to do better.
You mention how incompetent the police department is the folks attack you instead of pushing for the police department to serve and protect better.
You mention how incompetent ABLP is and other political party, instead of pushing the political party to do better, them threaten to kill you, have you robbed, and interference.
The scary parts for me in Antigua and Barbuda are the people’s inability to see they deserve better and to push for better.
I truly empathize with your predicament. I understand, I faced such a thing while simply trying to advance my proposed endeavor in Antigua. I pray you the best and frankly, I will tell you a secret, my strategy on here is to motivate everyone to do better. I want you all to succeed, every one of you, and every political party, especially whoever is governing. I just want us to now be selfless.
It was why I withdrew that $30,000 from ACB that day and gave it away. I was told from my God, no matter how experience, I want you to do this while in Antigua. And my experience was horrible, I believe in an effort to see if I would keep complying with what God placed into my heart and I succeeded. I complied. I pray you guys begin to lovd each other and yourself so that you can begin to see your worth and those you should help.
No top notch person works at Treasury, just lazy people who want to collect their “sure pay” and pension, so they can have degrees with nuff letters behind their names, they won’t get any better.
They owe me money from way back when and still can’t tell me when I’m gonna get it and guess what? The person I spoke with said people who should not have been paid were paid so they seem to constantly have this overpaying story to pull out.
Me nah work for government again though.
Capone, you’re mistaken. The ACLM joined the evil, selfish, bad minded, clueless and helpless BLUE to form UPP and were forced out.
You would have to tell me who you know from the ACLM that joined ALP. Name them.
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