By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

FREE National Movement leader Michael Pintard said an administration he leads would not let rehired retirees “double dip” by receiving a pension and a salary and would publicise the re-engagement of any retiree, providing information about the duration of their contracts and the position they will fill.

“This transparency measure will slam the door on backroom deals,” he said.

His statement yesterday came after Public Service Minister Pia Glover-Rolle said on Friday that nearly half of the retired public servants rehired by the Davis administration are members of the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF).

Her comment came as the Davis administration continued responding to the backlash it received after she revealed in the House of Assembly that 491 retirees had been rehired, with 480 receiving both a pension and a salary.

Many people described the re-engagement of retirees as unfair to young Bahamians struggling to secure public-sector employment and those in the system looking for upward mobility. 

Ms Glover-Rolle said 213 of the re-employed people are police.

“In some instances, individuals have reached the required years of service but have not yet reached retirement age,” she said. “The police force has benefited from the experience of seasoned personnel, who have helped to mitigate understaffing in some units, respond to surges in crime, and mentor new recruits.”

Ms Glover-Rolle said people with technical and administrative experience are often rehired to preserve legacy knowledge and temporarily provide expertise in needed areas until the identified gaps can be filled. 

Mrs Glover-Rolle said over the past three years, the Davis administration has recruited and integrated 2,000 young Bahamians into the public service, with some serving in senior roles. 

She said the RBPF had the highest number of re-employed pensioners, with 213. Other notable figures included 24 in the Judicial Department, 19 in the Magistrate’s Courts, and 15 in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Public Service. The Attorney General’s Office had 13, while both the Department of Public Works and the Department of Public Service had 11 each. The Ministry of Finance and Planning recorded ten.

Additional agencies with re-employed pensioners included the Department of Education, which recorded nine cases, followed by the Ministry of National Security with eight and the Ministry of Education with seven. The Office of the Prime Minister and the Department of Road Traffic each reported six cases. The Department of Inland Revenue recorded five, while the Department of Labour had four.

The Ministry of Health, Department of Immigration, Department of Corrections, Ministry of Youth, Sports & Culture, Customs Department, and Department of Local Government also reported four cases each. Other agencies, such as the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Financial Services, and Department of Social Services, recorded one or two cases.

In October 2021, the Davis administration reversed the Minnis administration’s decision prohibiting rehired retirees from getting a salary and a pension.

Mr Pintard said the FNM would “mandate a fair, open selection process for senior government positions, ensuring that every Bahamian with the right skills has a chance to compete”.