Next payday: 5% Increase For Public Servants, Pensioners on Nevis

By: Staff Writer

PUBLIC Servants and Pensioners on Nevis shall soon receive a 5% increase.

Minister with responsibility for Finance in the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), Premier Brantley announced on Monday 16 May, that public servants and pensioners on Nevis will be getting a three year incremental increase in salaries and pensions, (2022-2024).

With effect from the next payday, public servants and pensioners in Nevis shall receive a 5 per cent increase in their salaries and wages retroactive to January 01, 2022. On January 01, 2023, we shall give a further 5 per cent increase to our public servants and pensioners. On January 01, 2024, we shall give a further 5 per cent increase to our public servants and pensioners.  

Put differently, on Nevis, our public servants and pensioners will receive salary and wage and pension increases of 15 per cent compounded over the period 2022-2024. This staggered approach will enable the NIA to better manage the increases and allow for better management of the finances of the government…This represents the largest ever financial commitment to public servants and pensioners in our island’s history.

Cabinet members aren’t eligible to receive such increases.

The Premier’s announcement follows the Prime Minister, the Hon. Dr Timothy Harris announcement of a 10 percent salary increase to federal public servants, pensioners and STEP workers retroactive to January 1, 2022.

Brantley pointed out that Prime Minister Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris’ May 02 announcement of a 10 per cent salary to Federal public servants, pensioners and STEP workers retroactive to January 1, 2022, was done “without any discussion with the Nevis Island Administration or with the Premier’s and Minister of Finance for the island of Nevis.

Dr. Harris, therefore, knows that the NIA will have to borrow money to pay salary increases whilst he uses Nevisians’ money that he has vindictively withheld to fund increases to public servants, pensioners and STEP workers on St. Kitts. In a very real sense, Dr. Harris is seeking to leave the people of Nevis without an umbrella while he has a large tent of savings from our CBI money in St. Kitts.

In an effort to avoid further borrowing, Brantley explained that the Cabinet of the Nevis Island Administration determined that the increase would be apportioned over time.