FS had assured there was enough money for increase — Turnbull

Second District Representative Melvin ‘Mitch’ Turnbull said he was assured by officials late last year that there was enough funding in the budget to cover this year’s public service salary increase.

Turnbull made this statement following Premier Dr. Natalio Wheatley’s recent revelation that the new public service salary structure resulted in a $13.3 million budget deficit as of April 15. A review by the Ministry of Finance showed the actual cost for public officers’ salaries to be $25,056,518, revealing a significant variance from the initially budgeted $11.7 million.

Turnbull said he questioned Financial Secretary Jeremiah Frett during the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) stage of budget proceedings, seeking information about whether the new salary structure was sustainable. Turnbull also requested evidence from the study that supported the increase.

“Me ain’t taking no blame. Premier, you ain’t going to tell me nothing about no House of Assembly, [and that] we passed it in the House of Assembly,” Turnbull said, rejecting the Premier’s assertions that lawmakers collectively passed the budget.

According to Turnbull, the Financial Secretary explained that it had been over 20 years since a salary review was conducted and suggested that it was timely for the government to address the salary increase issue.

While reading from notes of the SFC report, Turnbull said Frett stated that the government would “find those areas where they can reduce cost and likewise find areas where they can increase revenue to help meet the needs of the salary cost increase.”

“You tell me you had enough,” Turnbull argued. “Now, come to find we here to try to find $20 million of the taxpayers’ money that could be helping them and feeding them and providing for them.”

Turnbull also criticised the government for suggesting that it plans to conduct another actuarial study to determine whether it should implement a contributory pension plan and move away from a defined benefit plan.

“If the pensioners who have attained 25 years or more in this country were to retire all at once, this country will come to a screeching halt because we have failed to plan,” Turnbull argued.