Executive chairman of the Police Staff Association Sergeant Dwight Smith dispelled rumors yesterday that the government was not prepared to pay the promised lump sum payment to law enforcement officers that was outlined in the 2011/2012 budget.

Smith said during a press conference at the Police Staff Association headquarters on Bank Lane that uniform allowances have already been issued and that July's increments are to be issued.
He noted that the government never gave an issue date for the lump sum payment, only promising that it would be paid before the end of the year.

On Wednesday, Bahamas Public Service Union president (BPSU) John Pinder contended that public servants might not receive their lump sum payments this month.  However, Smith said he had previously informed officers that there has never been a scheduled date set by the government for the lump sum payment.

"It created a problem for us because we were saying one thing and certainly what he (John Pinder) said was contradicting what we said," Smith explained.  In his statement, Pinder contended that the lump sum should have come in July's pay package, because "any increase The Bahamas makes in taxes normally comes into effect the date of the new fiscal year."

Yesterday, Minister of State for Finance Zhivargo Laing during a press conference confirmed that the government had not given a specific date for the payment of increments, instead stating that they would be paid "this fiscal year."  Laing contended that Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham made that point clear during his budget address in May.

"Public officers who have been at the maximum of their scales and not receiving increments will receive a lump sum payment equivalent to one increment during this fiscal period," Laing said.
"A date for this payment was not given and certainly there was no indication that the payments would be made in July 2011.

"From the prime minister's statement it should have been made clear."  Laing also explained how the lump sum payment would work for people at the top of their pay scale.  "Persons who are at the top of their scale and receiving a lump sum payment as noted above will in fact receive two increments this year -- one when the lump sum payment is made and secondly, in their increment month," he said.

Smith said he was inundated with calls after the rumor that the government had revoked its promise to pay the lump some was widely dispersed.

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