“It's Carnival, Baby,” but Government workers are yet to be paid for July and pensioners say they are waiting, too.
While several “pre-Carnival” events – including the Queen of Carnival show, the Mr & Miss Teenage pageant, and the Junior Calypso competitions – have already been staged, and while Carnival was officially launched on Saturday, July 25, the Treasury is yet to open its purse to public-sector employees who want to participate fully in the festival.
As of today, July 27, pensions reportedly are being paid in-house, at the Treasury; but retirees who are paid through the banks still have not received their monthly dues.
Workers and pensioners acknowledge that the end of the month is not until Friday, July 31. However, they say they expected to be paid earlier, given the season. And some workers who had no plans for Carnival activities say they would have appreciated an early pay-day, anyway, to accommodate their children being on vacation at this time.
Only weeks ago, the Browne Administration was crowing about record-breaking collections at the Customs & Excise Division, which reported takings of $276.85 million for the first half of this year.
Accordingly, residents are asking where the money has gone. The answer, sources say, is the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). That is taking all the money, inside sources say – especially the conversion of the Deluxe Cinema building into a national centre for the performing arts.
