A historical event was held Friday July 29th at the Prime Minister’s Office, where government retirees were compensated by the Salwai led-coalition government in what is known as the beginning of a VT 2.4 billion total compensation package.
Prime Minister responsible for Public Service, Charlot Salwai in thanking everyone, acknowledged the long delay by previous governments for not settling the retirees’ severance pay for the past 36th years. Reasons being that the budget allocated by previous parliament have not been used purposely by ministries and departments responsible and due to lack of funds.
Prime Minister Salwai thanked all for their long service provided through and under the government and also for their patience till today.
He acknowledged the struggle by most of the civil servants, who had attempted to exercise their constitutional rights to sue the government over their severance claims.
Those who witnessed the moving ceremony heard him confess “I understand, those cases had not been completed as you wished, due to the high legal cost to fight your cases.”
He thanked ministers, parliament secretaries and particularly the Minister of Finance for their part to assist and help to facilitate the process of this first disbursement of funds to settle some of the outstanding claims on the eve of the 36th birthday of Vanuatu.
Prime Minister called on all to make good use of the money for the benefit of their immediate families, and in a useful way that contributes to the economic development of this nation.
“You are indigenous ni-Vans, and the money you receive today, belongs to you and to your country. The government believes that the money will all be spent internally – not elsewhere.”
Widows of deceased civil servants shared tears of joy and in remembrance of the tireless efforts of their husband who did not see the fruit of their hard earnings.
The head of the government also noted and affirmed that past parliaments had passed budgets to settle the severance pay issue for civil servants however, it noted that most of those funds, had not been spent purposely.
“This time, money allocated for this purpose will be controlled and diverted to the retirees through and under the Department of Finance. It will no longer be transferred to the respective ministries and departments under which the claimants worked for.”
“Some of those who have waited for more than 10 to 15 years, are nurses, teachers and police force members. Few have died without receiving their benefits,” acknowledged PM Salwai.
PM Salwai confessed that in the past years the governments had been breaching the Employment and Public Service Act, by not settling the civil servants’ entitlement claims, as part of the workers’ rights. “The government made the law and it should lead by example to apply this law. It is the government’s responsibility to settle the severance claim,” PM Salwai stressed.
He revealed that the severance payments will be distributed under seven different categories, by age from 65 years to 70, from 50 to 60, from 60 to 65, and that will take 2 to 3 years.
The payment is just the beginning of what will now become an annual payment until the VT2.4 billion is settled.