Ram & McRae accuses Govt of employing too many contract workers

Chartered Accounting Firm Ram & McRae is calling on the David Granger-led Administration to put an end to the subverting of the Public Service by the practice of employing large numbers of contract workers who are remunerated with exorbitant salaries and benefits.

The Christopher Ram-owned Ram & McRae had initially observed in its review of this year’s Budget – Budget Focus 2016 – that the number of contract workers under the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration along with the total employment costs had skyrocketed.

Government through Minister of State, Joseph Harmon and Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman had both responded to the reports, insisting that the number had not increased so drastically, but rather it was a miscalculation of Ram & McRae.

In a statement on Monday, however, the company posited that its calculations were correct.

“Minister of State Joseph Harmon sought to attribute the increase in the Ministry of the Presidency to organisational changes and posited that the Office of the President cannot be compared to the Ministry of State, which now includes the Ministry of Social Cohesion, Ministry of Citizenship, and the Public Service Department.”

In fact, Ram & McRae was not comparing the Ministry of the Presidency with the Office of the President, but comparing the two yearend numbers (2015 and Budget 2016) in the same Ministry.

“It appears that Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman may have been under the same impression and called such an increase virtually impossible, adding that the Ministry of Natural Resources, which was recently designated a separate Ministry, was also included within the Ministry of the Presidency until January 2016,” Ram & McRae clarified.

The Accounting Firm reiterated that it was disappointed about the increases in both the number and cost of contract employees, noting once again that it was not healthy for the country’s democracy and such practice put under strain Article 38 G of the Constitution which requires the Public Service to be free from political influence.

The company noted nonetheless that the problem started under the previous Administration, and expressed confidence in the present Government to put an end to the practice.