[UPDATED] ‘Malicious scaremongering’

FINANCE Minister Colm Imbert yesterday slammed as “malicious scaremongering”, a Sunday Guardian article which claimed that Cepep workers will not receive an increase in wages and their working hours would be reduced. In a tweet, Imbert declared, “No facts. Dishonest analysis. Mischievous agenda.”

He continued, “ALL CEPEP workers will be paid their proper increased salaries in 2019. Working hours will not be reduced.” Imbert also said the “number of CEPEP workers in 2019 will be the same or more than in 2018.”

In a subsequent statement issued by his ministry, Imbert said it was wrong, “inexcusable and irresponsible” for UWI senior lecturer and Council for Responsible Political Behaviour Dr Bishnu Ragoonath to describe the proposed increases as an “election ploy” or a “trick”, as reported in the Sunday Guardian article.

Imbert said Ragoonath should not “make these baseless and scandalous statements,” without any facts. Imbert said it is “unscientific, illogical and bordering on political mischief for a supposedly neutral commentator” to look at a mere number in the Draft Estimates of Recurrent Expenditure and conclude he (Imbert) was tricking Cepep workers as an election ploy.

He said it was also wrong to conclude that Government plans to either reduce the working hours or number of Cepep workers this year.

“Even a cursory glance at the estimates over the years will reveal that the budgetary allocations for all projects and programmes are routinely revised during the year and supplemented, as and where required.”

Imbert also said the record shows that the final expenditure in any programme is always “revised upwards or downwards, based on circumstances and need.” He added this is what the mid-year budget review is for.

According to Imbert, “any analyst worth his salt” will know that in any programme of the government there are “extraordinary or one-off items of expenditure, such as capital projects, procurement of goods and services and settlement of legal matters, in any given year that do not carry forward into the next year.”

He said through prudent management, government was able to reduce Cepep’s expenditure and it is now $200 million less than it was in 2015 under the PP.

Imbert said while some people may not understand the process of annual budgetary allocations, the head of UWI’s political science department should be one who does.

In his budget presentation last Monday, Imbert said Cepep workers will receive a 15 per cent increase in their wages and the fees paid to CEPEP contractors will increase by the same amount. Both of these measures will take effect from December 1.In the Draft Estimates for Reccurrent Expenditure 2020, the allocation for Cepep was reduced from $369,613,280 in fiscal 2019 to $347,876,000 in fiscal 2020.

This story was originally published with the title "Imbert hits Sunday Guardian report as 'malicious scaremongering'" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

FINANCE Minister Colm Imbert has slammed what he describes as "malicious scaremongering", a Sunday Guardian report which alleged that Cepep workers will not receive an increase in wages and their working hours would be reduced. In a tweet, Imbert declared, "No facts. Dishonest analysis. Mischievous agenda."

He continued, " ALL Cepep workers will be paid their proper increased salaries in 2019. Working hours will not be reduced." Imbert also said the "number of Cepep workers in 2019 will be the same or more than in 2018."

In his budget presentation last Monday, Imbert said Cepep workers will receive a 15 per cent increase in their wages and the fees paid to Cepep contractors will increase by the same amount. Both of these measures will take effect from December 1.In the Draft Estimates for Reccurrent Expenditure 2020, the allocation for Cepep was reduced from $369, 613,280 in fiscal 2019 to $347,876,000 in fiscal 2020.

When contacted, Rural Development and Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein agreed with Imbert. "What was read in the budget is what we are going to do." Hosein said there was no basis for anyone to conclude that a reduced allocation for Cepep meant the increased wages to its workers and increased fees to its contractors will not be implemented.

Hosein recalled there has never been any issue with Cepep workers not being paid their wages since he has been line minister for Cepep."Whatever they need, we will get it for them," he said.

He explained this has been so despite reductions in the allocation to Cepep previously. In fiscal 2018, the allocation to Cepep was $447,997, 789. This was revised to $375,915,380 in fiscal 2019 and then adjusted in the same period to $369,613,280. The budget debate continues in the House of Representatives on Monday from 10 am.