Antigua and Barbuda: Browne instructs Treasury to prioritise small payments amid backlog concerns
Prime Minister Gaston Browne says he has instructed the Treasury to begin clearing smaller outstanding payments as part of efforts to address delays in retroactive payments and pensions.
Speaking on his Browne and Browne show on Pointe FM, Browne acknowledged complaints from individuals who say they have not received back pay, particularly those no longer in the public service.
He said the government has now directed the Treasury to prioritise payments under EC$20,000, rather than focusing primarily on larger sums.
“We’ve also asked the Treasury to retire the small payments… you have people with less than $20,000… pay them the money,” Browne said.
The prime minister indicated that some outstanding payments date back several years, with cases going as far as 2018, and said the situation is being treated with urgency.
“We have asked them to address that issue with urgency… I’m giving a public undertaking here that everyone will be paid,” he said.
Browne added that systems are being put in place to ensure pensioners who have not received full or partial payments are settled, with a target of clearing most outstanding amounts by the end of this month or next.
He also revealed that a hotline will be established to allow individuals to contact the Treasury directly for updates on their payments, while additional staff are being deployed to process claims more efficiently.
Cabinet has already engaged senior Treasury officials, including the Accountant General and Financial Secretary, to push for faster disbursement of funds.
“We said to them, ‘Pay the people their money,’” Browne stated.
The prime minister said the initiative is part of a broader push to improve fairness and transparency in the payment system, while noting that contractors are now being paid more consistently following recent administrative changes.
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Haha .. antigua people fooley no wa..your plan just might work mr brown … then after you win everything will be back to normal.. where you and your goons “CHAIN GANG” members … will regain control of most of the contracts and CIP investment and all other fraudulent deals … yes mr brown give us crumbs .. you continue to eat until you burst 🐖…… let’s be real we only have a short time on this earth and accumulating wealth is not what we are here to do … but you can keep dreaming like you will live forever and keep thinking the power you have now will remain forever.. some people are so poor All they have is money.. and some people are so uneducated that they don’t know how to stop eating when they are full..
Oh for goodness sake man, why you couldn’t do this before calling a General Election???
EXCELLENT work Hon.Gaston Browne. Congratulations.
TEK DAT Brixtonian. ABLP ..17Seats.