PRESIDENT of the police union, acting ASP Gideon Dickson is thankful that the police service will be receiving $57 million as announced by Finance Minister Colm Imbert last week.
In a telephone interview with Sunday Newsday, Dickson said: "We want the allocation to come into reality sooner than later. Money impacts everything."
He said since the reading of the budget last year, the police association have been saying that more could have been done for national security, particularly the police service.
"We were owing from the previous financial year. That in itself impacts on our ability to network with our stakeholders. As you look ahead if you don’t have that liquidity in terms of financial operation, it impacts on everything."
Dickson said he is encouraged by the disbursement as the police service is "moving from where we were to where we are, only because of our good reputation with our stakeholders."
Last week, during the Standing Finance Committee, the police service was allocated $57 million to be used to pay creditors.
The money will cover leasing of vehicles and equipment at a cost of $7,805,000; stationery and office supplies totalling $3,500,000; $3 million for the maintenance of vehicles and $7 million for fuel. Salaries for contract employment will amount to $15.9 while $16 million will be used to pay for subscriptions, membership fees and maintenance of critical software.
The rest of the money, $4,512,329, will go towards the first payment of a $200 million Nipdec loan. The loan was taken to pay off the 2020 tab for goods and services and other minor equipment. The first payment of the seven-year loan is due on October 6, 2021.
In piloting the Finance (Supplementation and Variation of Appropriation) (Financial Year 2021) Bill, 2021 in the House of Representatives, last week, Finance Minister Colm Imbert denied that the government was de-funding the police. He said with the injection of the $57 million the police will be receiving close to $600 million.
"We are seeking appropriation for an additional $57 million for the police service. We have a loan which has already been executed, money deposited in an escrow account, of $200 million."
In May, Police Commissioner Gary Griffith at a media briefing said the service was expected to receive a $200 million lifeline from the Finance Ministry to stave off old and current debts. The police service, he said, was in a financial hole $330 million deep and was anticipating half of the $200 million to clear some of that debt and the other half to clear debt incurred in 2021 fiscal year.
For the 2020-2021 fiscal year, $334,689,921 was allocated for goods and services and up to February, the police service received $58,330,000.
In February, Griffith said police owed $182 million for goods and services, most of which was for the last fiscal year.
Goods and services include but is not limited to providing meals for officers and prisoners, fuel, repairs for vehicles, IT services and maintenance costs. Since the implementation of the state o
