By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE Ministry of Finance is stating that inaccurate financial information regarding contract employment for the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) is being disseminated into the public domain and that increases occurred in 2018 and not 2016 as stated in the media.
In a press release on Tuesday, the ministry stated that Finance Minister Colm Imbert has taken note of two successive articles in the Express Newspaper published on Sunday and on Tuesday.
The ministry stated that in those two articles the expenditure on contract employment in the TTPS has been stated as $1.6 million in 2016, rising to $57.3 million in 2017, and dropping to $54.1 million in 2018.
“This gives the misleading impression that in the second fiscal year of the present Government there was a huge increase of 3,400% in this expenditure item from $1.6 million in 2016 to $57.3 million in 2017. However, although the error may have been unintentional, this is simply not correct,” the ministry stated.
The ministry said that from the Estimates of Recurrent Expenditure that the actual expenditure on contract employment in the TTPS in 2016 was $61.6 million, down from $67.2 million in 2015.
The expenditure on this item showed a downward trend from 2015 to 2018, from $67.2 million to $54.1 million.
However, expenditure on contract employment in the TTPS began to increase after 2018, rising from $54.1 million in 2018 to $88.8 million in 2021, an increase of $34.7 million per year over the period 2018-2021.
The ministry stated, “It is hoped that this factual data will put an end to erroneous speculation by media and members of the public on this matter.”
On Tuesday the Express referring to the article on Sunday, reported that contract employment in 2016 stood at $1,658,925, in 2017 it was $57,330,076 and in 2018 saw a dip by $3 million to $54,106, 522. In 2019, contract employment rose by $10 million to $63,248,063. In 2020, there was another $10 million increase (2020-$73, 571,120) and revised estimates for 2021 are $88,804,000.
The Express also reported that 15 contract employees were fired with immediate effect and several others were being revisited.
The Sunday Express also revealed terms and salaries of several contracted TTPS personnel.
