In a groundbreaking move, the government of the Turks and Caicos Islands has unveiled a significant salary increase for all civil servants.
The announcement made made by Premier Hon. Washington Misick, during a press conference at the Premier's Office in Providenciales on Monday, revealed a total budget of $18.2 million, marking a remarkable 22% increase in manpower costs.
Dubbed the 'Pay and Grading Review,' Premier Misick the initiative aims to enhance the income of government employees across various sectors thereby increasing their standard of living.
Deputy Governor Her Excellency Governor Anya Williams, who gave the breakdown of the sector allocations, said that every member of the Turks and Caicos Islands Government workforce will witness a minimum 10% increase in their net pay, effective December 1st, 2023.
Key sectors such as Policing, Healthcare, Education, Front Line, and Administrative and Support Staff will receive a major portion of the budget, accounting for 79% of the current workforce, totaling 1,568 employees.
Education Sector Highlights:
In the education sector, $3,941,608, equivalent to 27.1% of the pay and grading budget, has been allocated for pay increases. Various roles, including Trained Teachers, Graduate Teachers, Heads of Department, Vice Principals, and Principals, will see pay hikes ranging from 12.8% to 57.1%.
Healthcare Sector Highlights:
For the healthcare sector, $1,880,441 or 10.4% of the budget will go towards pay increases for 173 staff in the Ministry of Health. Increases range from 20.8% for Registered Nurse/Midwives to 28.9% for Community Health Aides.
Front Line and Senior Front-Line Staff:
Front-line staff, including Immigration, Customs, Prison, and others, will receive a 28.3% net pay increase. Senior Front-Line Officers in Grade 6 will see a 22.5% net pay increase.
Police Sector Highlights:
A substantial portion, $1,480,449, has been allocated for additional pay increases in the Police sector. Police Constables, Sergeants, Inspectors, Assistant Superintendents, and Superintendents will experience net pay increases ranging from 12.2% to 17.7%. Combining the increases in 2022/2023 and December 2023, Police salaries will see a cumulative increase of 25-30%.
Support Staff and Other Grades:
According to the government, Support staff in Grade 4, including Administrative Assistants, will receive a 27.3% net pay increase. Other grades will experience increases ranging from 13.8% to 40.4%.
House of Assembly:
A new remuneration package, amounting to $600,000, has been approved for Ministers and Members of the House of Assembly, addressing a lack of review since 2012.
According to Deputy Minister and Minister of Finance Hon. E. Jay Saunders, the comprehensive salary increase is poised to significantly impact the lives of civil servants across the Turks and Caicos Islands, marking a historic moment in the government's commitment to fair compensation and recognition of public service contributions.
Saunders also predicted that the increase in salary across the board for all government workers, has set the stage for the private sector to increase the salary of their staff in a bid to not losing them to the civil service, which he said will ultimately raise the standard of living for both private and public sector workers significantly.
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