The Government of St Kitts and Nevis under the guidance of Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew, will anchor an event on Thursday, July 25, 2024, to initiate the payment procedure of pensions to the credible retired Government Auxiliary Employees (GAEs).
The event will be hosted at 8:30 am on Thursday, July 25. The pension payment scheme will be available for the employees who retired after May 2012. This is assumed to bring significant and immediate financial relief to hundreds of deserving citizens.
The payment of the pension to GAEs who retired after May 2012, was prioritized by the Pension Reform Task Force among its listed assignment tasks executing on Dr Terrance Drew led administration’s commitment to right the wrongs, that former Team Unity Administration had inflicted on them where they scrapped out end-of-tenure gratuity which meant their salary for serving over all those years endured a gory fate.
“Instead of helping the GAE workers they made it harder for them. These are the people who are the crossing guards, the environmental workers, your messengers, drivers, technicians and so forth. They did not have a guarantee of a pension,” PM Terrance Drew stated, during his live advent at the Issues SKN programme by Freedom FM on Tuesday, July 23.
“Prior to 2021, GAE used to get a gratuity that was calculated using a favorable formula to them. The then administration used a different formula and cut their gratuity by two thirds. So, for example, if they were to get $100, they cut it down to $33.33—a third of what they used to get before 2021,” Dr Drew further explained.
The GAE workers will qualify for the pension after reaching the age of 62 and if they have served for fifteen years and above.
PM Drew expressed with pride that his government was competent enough to make it happen and assuring that the GAEs will be benefitted by the Pension programme.
Some of the pension payments for selected GAEs will start at Thursday’s event in front of Government Headquarters, to be followed by others later. Forms will also be made available at Government Headquarters, and the Accountant General Department in the Treasury Buildings to address any queries on pension.
.){kind=link}