Thursday, September 9 2010

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SENATE'S CORNER: Government senators seated in the Lower House for the presentation of the National Budget. In the front row are Minister in the Minis...

Chairman of the Employers’ Consultative Agency (ECA), Ruben McSween said while Government presented an excellent Budget in Parliament yesterday, it is left to be seen if proper implementation follows.

He was present at Parliament for the presentation of the 2010-2011 National Budget by Finance Minister, Winston Dookeran.

“By and large, in the absence of all details the document was a very good one. Of course the test is with the implementation and our beloved country has a history of not implementing as effectively as we can. So we wish the Government all the best with the implementation of the several initiatives,” he said.

He said ECA was pleased with the announcement of introducing measures to improve public service efficiency, plans to foster gender equality and to introduce a special allowance for police officers among other measures.

He commended Government for not addressing the issue of minimum wage in the National Budget. He said this move suggested Government considers the issue a complex one and it would not be bullied or influenced to make a premature announcement on minimum wage.

“The minimum wage from an employers’ perspective should represent a wage that creates an opportunity for us to employ more persons and should take into consideration the be issue of productivity. Whether it moves to $12 or $13, what we are interested in is that the productivity associated with it is worth the amount,” he said.

President of the Public Services Association, Watson Duke, when contacted, said although Government has not made an official announcement on the matter, there is a figure set judging from the increase in pension to $3,000.

“When you do math, a $3,000 pension for the most vulnerable of society amounts to $17 an hour. That is really a wage set according to what they are paying the most vulnerable in society. The question is what are they willing to impose on the business community is another matter but they have to ensure the person who is in a disadvantageous position gets paid equally,” he said.