Headlines:
| Shaw defends salary package of public sector heads |
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| Tuesday, 16 December 2008 | |
 Finance Minister
Audley Shaw was forced to defend the salary packages given to the heads of two
public bodies during Tuesday's sitting of Parliament.Mr. Shaw was called on to explain aspects of the compensation package for Commissioner of Customs Danville Walker and head of the National Solid Waste Management Authority, Joan Gordon-Webley. The Finance Minister furnished a document outlining the compensation packages of five senior executives in the public service.  They include Mr.
Walker, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Irrigation Commission, the Acting
Managing Director of the Jamaica Urban Transit Company and the Executive
Directors of the Social Development Commission and Mrs. Gordon Webley.Eyebrows were raised when Opposition Spokesman on Finance, Dr. Omar Davies, noted that the allowances paid to Mr. Walker, was substantially higher than this basic salary. Mr. Walker's basic salary is $3.7 million per annum, but he earns $4.2 million in personal allowances.  Mr. Shaw said
the compensation package offered to Mr. Walker was made comparable to the
package he got as Director of Elections.He also outlined that in some instances, the salaries outlined in the public sector establishment are not attractive enough to attract the kind of personnel needed in the sector. The Opposition then turned the spotlight on aspects of compensation package offered to Mrs. Gordon Webley. In the contract, Mrs. Gordon Webley will get a payment of 20% of the total amount saved due to the implementation of cost saving in addition to the $4.2 two million she earns each year.  "How do you
ascertain how much of that increase, if any, is due solely to the Executive
Director and how about other members of her staff who may have and I would
expect, contributed to this increased efficiency," asked Dr. Davies.In response, the Finance Minister said he would have to return to parliament to provide answers to Dr. Davies. |