THE EDITOR: The reasons given by the Finance Minister in his media briefing on May 21 for not including the construction industry in the salary relief grants are not acceptable in these dire circumstances, where the public health regulations have been extended to July 4.

Colm Imbert referred to this hard-working group of TT citizens as itinerant and simultaneously indicated that the numbers were quite large. If the first reason given is correct, then these people will not qualify based on the criteria for NIS registration and the like. If the second reason is correct, then that is actually a case for the Government to pay serious attention and act to alleviate the stress on this very vulnerable group and their families.

The Joint Consultative Council (JCC) is cognisant of the fact that public sector employees are invariably in receipt of full pay with reduced working hours with others having work-from-home arrangements. Government services are therefore effectively reduced while the Government's wage bill remains the same. This equation needs to be balanced.

The private sector, on the other hand, of which the construction industry is only a part, has carried its weight of the covid19 burden since the first lockdown in March 2020. The ongoing travesty of non-payment by the Government on government projects has essentially eroded company cash flows and profitability, making our efforts to provide continuing relief to our less fortunate employees almost impossible at this time, having not recovered fully from last year.

While the JCC unequivocally agrees with the need for these government-imposed restrictions and we therefore unconditionally support them, we are compelled to highlight that these are crucial times that call for serious but sustainable social relief measures. We are also acutely aware of the fact the country's financial resources are more limited, thus solutions have to be pragmatic but fair.

The Finance Minister needs to balance the burden on the private sector by adjusting the public sector wage bill to be commensurate with the government services being provided during the pandemic. This will generate the much-needed cash for equitable distribution to our most vulnerable citizens.

FAZIR KHAN

president, JCC for the

Construction Industry