Minister of Finance Colm Imbert has made a commitment to the members of the T&T Police Service (TTPS) that arrears will be paid in cash no later than March 2017.
This commitment was made to the TTPS Social and Welfare Association during a meeting with association president, Michael Seales, on Wednesday.
Imbert, in a letter dated September 16, 2016, which was sent to Seales, confirmed this.
In reference to the existing policy of allocating ten per cent of the housing stock by the Housing Development Corporation to members of the protective services, Imbert promised to seek to arrange a meeting within ten days between the Minister of Housing and Urban Development and the association’s representatives.
With respect to the retirees, Imbert gave the assurance that approval would be given for their payment as soon as the necessary paperwork is completed by the Ministry of National Security and the Treasury Division.
Speaking with the Sunday Guardian yesterday, Seales said the association was extremely happy with the discussions. “It was a mandate by our membership that bonds should be taken off the table and the association have accomplished that,” Seales said.
He disclosed that the association was able to negotiate the payment of the second tranche of arrears from a two-part payment to one. “The second tranche was to be made in two parts, one in the beginning of December and the second part by the ending of May, and we were able to negotiate out of that, with the minister promising one payment before March 2017 despite the hard economic times,” Seales said.
With respect to housing, Seales said the association anticipates the meeting with the Minister of Housing on the issue.
During the mid-year review of the 2016 Budget in Parliament in April, Imbert promised to pay outstanding arrears in tranches. It was promised to be paid in three tranches, the first, which would be half the cash value on June 30, and two subsequent equal payments at the end of December and at the end of March 2017.