Of the hundreds of Public Servants hired just before the Bahamas General Election, around 40 remain at home receiving a full salary because of an inability to place them, Minister of State for the Public Service, Pia Glover-Rolle says.
Ms Glover-Rolle (pictured) made the startling announcement as she expounded on the Government’s decision to implement a hiring freeze in the public sector and a review and audit of the new hires.
The Minister said it was possible that some would be dismissed.
“We can’t just hire and not know where to put people,” Ms Glover-Rolle said during a press briefing.
“We have to make sure we’re placing people in positions that are available and that are necessary to move the Public Service forward.”
She said the previous Government had been hiring workers up to the day of the election.
“Those is particular we will be looking at to ensure the proper methodology of engagement was made,” the Minister said.
“I will tell you that there are persons that are hired that were hired in the last eight weeks that are still at home; that are being paid, but there is nowhere to place them,” Ms Glover-Rolle said
The audit is expected to be completed in June or July next year, following which new hires could resume.
However, Ms Glover-Rolle’s predecessor, Brensil Rolle said it was “totally untrue” that people were hired on the day of the election.
He challenged Ms Glover-Rolle to produce the evidence to support her claims.
“Every single person that we engaged was legitimately hired,” Mr Rolle said.
“It was not done on Election Day and all the persons we hired are consistent with what was done every single year,” he said.
He said if the Minister could provide names of individuals who were at home, who were being paid, who were hired on Election Day “then I will retract my statement, but I stand by my statement until she provides the names”.
Nassau, 21 November 2021
