St Kitts public servants receive 10% pay raise
Embattled Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris on Monday announced a 10 per cent salary increase for public sector workers benefitting more than 9 000 workers in the twin-island Federation.
“I am pleased to announce that my government has determined that our civil servants, pensioners, and STEP workers will benefit from a significant increase in wages, salaries, and pensions at the rate of ten per cent, and this shall be retroactive to January 2022,” Harris said in a broadcast marking Labour Day here.
“This is another clear example of our investment in our people as we put more money in the pockets of many of our citizens and residents. These resources will increase purchasing power for approximately 4 000 salaried civil servants, 1 064 government auxiliary employees, 1 365 pensioners, and 2 800 STEP workers,” he added.
Harris, who faces a vote of no confidence after several members of his Team Unity coalition filed the necessary documents in the Parliament last week, said the workers engaged with the Skills Training Empowerment Programme (STEP) are closer to becoming government auxiliary workers that would allow them to enjoy greater job security.
He said the regularisation process would continue apace over the next few months.
“The Select Committee and the Human Resource Management Department have completed the work necessary to facilitate the integration of the first group of STEP workers into the public service as auxiliary government employees. Over the last two weeks, hundreds of people have received letters offering permanent employment with the government.”
Harris outlined other measures that his government has implemented to cushion the impact of the high increase in the cost of living, including the reduction in the excise tax on the importation of fuel from EC$2.25 (One EC dollar=US$0.37 cents) per gallon to EC$0.95 per gallon effective from April to September this year.
He said the government also granted an increase in the gas station dealers’ margin by EC$0.30 and that the fuel subsidy programme would be extended for an additional six months.
The income and disability support programmes have been extended for three months. They will target unemployed people due to job loss from the pandemic and those whose income has been significantly reduced.
The government said that the duty-free allowance usually permitted in December has been reintroduced from May 1 to September 30 and that households will be able to import 500 pounds of food items free of duty and tax.
The government will introduce an eight-month cap on the freight cost used to calculate duties and taxes paid on the importation of goods.
“This cap will help to moderate the rising prices as a result of increased freight cost. Let me take this opportunity to make this government’s firm expectation that all suppliers must pass on the benefit of this concession to consumers who face rising prices,” Harris said in his Labour Day message.
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