By Matt Maura

Bahamas Information Services

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert A Minnis and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance K Peter Turnquest led the verification process for members of Parliament before participating in the weekly Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.

Dr Minnis and Mr Turnquest were two of 15 Cabinet ministers to take advantage of the opportunity provided by officials from the Public Treasury Department who were at the Cecil V Wallace-Whitfield Centre to conduct the verification process for public service employees there.

Other Cabinet ministers undergoing the verification process included: Brent Symonette, Senator Carl W Bethel, Desmond T Bannister, Jeffrey L Lloyd, Marvin Dames, Frankie A Campbell, Dionisio J D’Aguilar, Michael C Pintard, Darren Henfield, Dion Foulkes, Kwasi Thompson and Elsworth Johnson.

Minister of Environment Romauld Ferreira, Social Services Minister Lanisha Rolle and Minister of Public Service and National Insurance Brensil D Rolle are off the island. Health Minister Dr Duane Sands had already completed the verification process.

The verification of the Cabinet ministers/members of Parliament is part of an ongoing national verification exercise for government monthly and weekly employees, senators and members of Parliament.

Verification centres were established at public schools in New Providence and at government offices in Grand Bahama and the Family Islands since the process began on Tuesday, August 8. Verification ends Thursday, August 31.

The five verification centres in New Providence -- H O Nash High School, T A Thompson Junior High School, C C Sweeting High School, C R Walker High School and Doris Johnson High School – will cease operations as of the close of business on Friday, August 18 in preparation for the upcoming school year. Operations will be relocated to the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

Treasury officials say public officers who are assigned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Tourism overseas offices, are expected to verify at their respective locations, “following the procedures that have been forwarded directly to them by the Treasury Department”.

Persons who fail to present themselves to be verified will have their salaries interrupted – not ceased - beginning September, 2017, until they comply with the verification and reinstatement process.

Treasury officials further say the 2017 verification process is not new in government, as “some form of the process has been undertaken by all serving treasurers”.

“The verification process actually protects the public service employee because in addition to ensuring that they are legitimate public service employees, it also ensures that we have the correct data on each employee,” an official said.

Allowances have been made for public service employees on vacation within and outside of the Bahamas. Those travelling outside of the country whose return date will not allow them to return ahead of the August 31 deadline, can verify at any Bahamas Tourist Office (BTO) or foreign affairs mission abroad while those within the Bahamas can verify at the administrator’s office in any Family Island, along with the Public Treasury (Central Abaco and Freeport, Grand Bahama).