Edmond Campbell, Senior News CoordinatorTHE GOVERNMENT will have to fork out $119.3 million to pay 58 consultants working in Central Government this year. This represents $16.1 million more than the $103.2 million paid to 48 consultants in 2005.
At the same time, the total pay package of $90.7 million for consultants employed to parastatal entities has been reduced by $1.8 million when compared with the, $92.5 million paid last year. Parastatals comprise Government companies, statutory corporations, the HEART Trust/NTA and the National Housing Trust.
The number of consultants employed to the Ministry of National Security has doubled, increasing to 10 this year, and the Ministry of Land and Environment has recruited three consultants.
The increase at the Ministry of National Security is part of the Government's strategy to tackle the illegal drug trade and to reduce the country's staggering murder rate.
CONSULTANTS FUNCTIONS
According to a ministry paper tabled by Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, consultants were engaged to perform functions in national security and intelligence; legal advice to the head of the Counter-Narcotics Task Force; information technology; community safety and security and general administration and coordination.
In terms of the parastatals, 57 consultants were employed compared with 45 in a similar capacity last year.
The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has recruited 16 consultants this year, 15 more than the one who worked with the agency in 2005. Fourteen of these consultants were engaged to work on the production of development orders for Portland and Trelawny. "As members of the House would appreciate, these development orders are necessary for the orderly, efficient and sustainable development of the country," the paper outlined.
