Many of the public servants at the ministry of Education and Ministry of Finance with responsibility for gratuities and pensions cannot tell their elbows from their pillows. These include especially permanent secretaries and heads of departments.
The problem of payment of retiree benefits persists through the perpetuation of a perverse process despite the pitiable public promises of the Minister of Education.
I am retired teacher who left the service after 38 years. I have been waiting nearly 14 months for my gratuity and pension.
It is worse than that. One year before my retirement I was notified in writing by the Ministry of Education, thanked for my service and advised to submit the relevant documents. So it is taking two years and two months to process my superannuation payments.
I am told I am lucky. Some people have to wait for several years, get other jobs, offer bribes. One man told me he had to drop tears at the clay feet of an official to get his file moved. Some people have died without seeing the completion of "the process."
Let me briefly describe the lengthy perverse "process."
After languishing for several months at Secondary and Further (Stage 1) my file was sent to Pensions and Leave (Stage 2). After its sojourn there, it was sent back to Secondary and Further (Stage 1) for seven days' leave to be classified. It remained there (Stage 1) for six months. Its movement between these two stages got confused amongst truth, half-truths, lies, docking and promises before it was sent to the Limbo called Treasury (Stage 3). It has been there since November–six months.
The keepers of the twilight zone informed me that the process here must undergo the following perversion: Step 1, computations–two months; Step 2, Auditor General–two months; Step 3, Approvals–two months; Step 4, Accounts–two months.
As the file left one station I was told that it could be fast-tracked if I knew someone at the receiving end.
These faceless demi-gods have made the word "process" into a near obscenity–red tape, bureaucracy, delay, pauperisation, desperation to the point of temptation to offer bribe, a secure way to avoid responsibility and result.
In June 2008 the Minister of Finance issued Circular No 2 to all permanent secretaries, heads of departments et al, captioned "Payments of retiree benefits on time." It is probably under the elbows of the current office-holders.
The absence of proper overview of the malaise called process is proof of the Peter Principle that people are frequently promoted to the level of incompetence.
This must not happen to another worker.
Gabriel Solomon
Retired teacher