By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

MCKELL Bonaby, executive chairman at Bahamas Public Parks and Public Beaches Authority, says more than half a million dollars is owed to contract workers.

He said that everyone who has been verified to date can be expected to be paid between now and August 5.

He told reporters during a press conference yesterday that the completed report states that 83 persons have been verified, 147 unverified, 33 duplicates and two incompletes.

He said: “We said that give or take we will be able to have a verification process, but considering the fact that we have been able to resolve this issue, it’s completed. All of the individuals who have been verified today will be paid.

 “I think it was maybe about a couple of days ago, maybe last week Thursday, I had indicated that we had good news, and so everyone who has been verified to date will be paid.”

 This is following contract workers claiming that they are owed payments from the authority from July last year.

 They have expressed their frustrations over the issue and have held several demonstrations outside the Office of the Prime Minister, demanding to speak with Prime Minister Phillip “Brave” Davis.

 “We are going to be here until we’re satisfied about where our monies are. Whether we get a letter, whether we get a meeting, if we get a statement. Whatever gone cause us to be satisfied as a group,” protest organiser Richard Johnson said earlier this month.

 However, Mr Bonaby said some of the protestors are unverified as they are unable to produce the necessary documents, hence the delay in payment.

 “What we found is a couple of weeks ago somebody came in to verify, who protested and we found that individual was not even in possession of a contract and was able to say she never had a contract. So, we just wanted to open the doors to hear the concerns of those persons who are protesting because in some instances they don’t have any legal bases on which the authority or the government to be able to pay,“ he said.

 When asked if any efforts are being made to assist those who are unable to verify, Mr Bonaby replied: “It’s not as simple as people would make it seem as it’s a very complicated situation that we met in place, but we are trying to resolve it as quickly as possible for those who have their documentation.”

 According to Bonaby, the process has been reduced to approximately 300 persons after starting off with 1400 individuals.