PM criticizes Amory on late notice about salary difficulties

(ZIZ)– Prime Minister the Right Hon Dr Denzil Douglas has criticized Nevis’ Premier the Hon Vance Amory for not coming to him earlier to state any difficulties in paying civil servants salaries on time.

The Prime Minister said he only found out about the issue on Wednesday morning, the day when the salaries were supposed to be paid.

He said although the Federal Government is not responsible for Nevis’ civil servants salaries, he was committed to doing all in his power to assist but wished Amory had informed him of the difficulty earlier.

“Had he done this as he had done on an earlier occasion when crises just as severe were being fared, I have always responded with openness, with understanding, and with swift action.  And that is a matter of record,” he said.

The Prime Minister said he spoke, a week earlier, with the Acting Financial Secretary who said he had been experiencing difficulties; however he received no word from Amory until Wednesday.

Dr. Douglas also cleared the air on comments made by Amory claiming that an allocation of 9 million Euros given to the Federation was not being shared.

He said the premier misspoke.

“No nine million Euros have been collected by this federal government.   And so it is the old bogey that money comes into the federal government, it is to be shared and it is not shared.  This is not the situation.   The federal government has received no nine million Euros to be used for budged support.  It has not received it,” he said.

The Prime Minister was speaking on Good Morning SKN earlier on Friday morning.