Police Force to continue hiring during fiscal adjustment programme

By Linda Straker

Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell has indicated the Police Force will not apply the plan of hiring only 30 persons to every hundred retired during the three years of the Structural Adjustment Programme, which is scheduled to conclude in December 2016.

Dr. Mitchell, who is also Minister of National Security, made the announcement during an open forum with the Western Division of the Royal Grenada Police Force (RGPF) last week Thursday at the Victoria Hotel in St. Mark’s.

He assured officers attending the meeting that the policy to hire will remain in effect during the three-year period of Debt Restructuring to revive the economy.

“We cannot speak about the role of the police and not take steps to ensure that we make our contribution in helping them to perform effectively,” he said.

Prime Minister Mitchell praised the RGPF for the many steps taken recently to improve its image, citing that much of that is owed to the “sound, professional, caring, firm and compassionate leadership” of the RGPF.

Government says that 70 cents on every dollar goes towards the payment of the monthly salary of the public service and reducing that amount will be among the priorities during the period of the International Monetary Fund-endorsed Home-Grown Programme, which commenced as of January 1, 2014.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance, Timothy Antoine, said that Government will not be retrenching workers, but instead apply natural attrition and only hire 30 new persons of every 100 who retires from the service.

Dr. Mitchell has also announced that two Government departments – the Government Information Service and the Government Printery – will be converted to statutory or executive agencies, which will give them their own autonomy thereby removing them from the responsibility of the public purse.