In a significant move to address long-standing payment delays, Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne has mandated the national Treasury to expedite clearance of smaller outstanding payments. The directive specifically targets amounts under EC$20,000 as part of a comprehensive strategy to resolve backlog issues affecting retroactive payments and pension disbursements.
During his weekly radio address on Pointe FM’s ‘Browne and Browne Show,’ the Prime Minister acknowledged receiving numerous complaints from individuals, particularly former public service employees, who have experienced prolonged delays in receiving owed payments. Some cases reportedly date back to 2018, creating financial hardship for affected citizens.
‘The Treasury has been instructed to prioritize settling these smaller claims immediately rather than focusing exclusively on larger sums,’ Browne emphasized. ‘We’re implementing a systematic approach to ensure everyone receives what they’re owed.’
The government has established an ambitious timeline aiming to resolve most outstanding payments by the end of the current or next month. To facilitate this process, additional staff are being deployed to enhance processing capacity, while a dedicated hotline will be established for citizens to obtain direct updates on their payment status.
Cabinet members have already convened with senior Treasury officials, including the Accountant General and Financial Secretary, to emphasize the urgency of accelerated fund disbursement. ‘Our message was clear: pay the people their money,’ Browne stated unequivocally.
This initiative forms part of broader administrative reforms designed to increase transparency and fairness within the government’s payment systems. The Prime Minister noted that recent structural changes have already improved payment consistency for government contractors, demonstrating the administration’s commitment to financial accountability.