THE SENATE has approved improvements in the honoraria and travelling allowance paid to members of the Integrity Commission.
The improvements include an increase in the honorarium paid to the chairman from $33,390 per annum to $72,000 per annum and travelling allowances from $25,920 per annum to $45,000 per annum. Members' honoraria moved up from $24,000 to $36,000 and travelling allowance to $36,000 from $21,000.
But, Senator Anthony Johnson (JLP) felt the amounts were an insult to the chairman and the members.
"You cannot have an Integrity Commission which is supposed to advise the nation on the state of the integrity of various and sundry and pay the chairman $10,500 a month and the members $7,000 per month," he said.
He said that what was being suggested was that the Government did not regard the work of the Commission as being important nor was asking the members to put any time into the effort.
"I don't think it is adequate and we're sending a wrong message to somebody, somewhere," he said.
Senator Burchell Whiteman, Minister of Education and Culture, said that although he agreed that the sums were inadequate, it was not intended that they should be considered as the total package, but instead as an interim upgrading.
