Government may take loan in order to pay police owed overtime

Bahamas, Wednesday 17th May 2017: The new FNM government is vowing to keep the promised pay out to police officers of The Bahamas. Former Prime Minister Perry Christie made the promise during his 2017 election campaign. And despite the FNM’s former leader, Hubert Ingraham saying the move was impossible, newly sworn in Finance Minister Peter Turnquest says government will make it happen, at the expense of taking a loan.

Turnquest speaking to reporters following the FNM administration’s first cabinet meeting says “We intend to honour the commitment. Some degree of borrowing would be required to help the government fulfil its obligations”.

Similar comments were made by the new National Security Minister, Marvin Dames who also assured government’s commitment to paying the officers. He too stated that Cabinet was in the process of determining whether there is sufficient money in the Public Treasury to cover the payments.

Payment is owed to the Police Officers following a Supreme Court ruling ordering government to pay officers for working 12-hour shifts at in 2013 and 2014, after it was instituted officers work 12 hour shifts in an effort to clamp down on criminal activity. It was ordered by the Supreme Court that compensation be received within a year.

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