By Arret Jatta
The Judiciary has rescinded the decision on the allocation of transport allowances to judicial staff.
A staff memo, issued by the judicial secretary dated 7 May 2024, and addressed to the financial controller, ordered a halt to transport allowance payment and also to recover the four months advance payment of D4000 to the staff.
Sources close to the Judiciary told this medium that the decision has caused resentment among the staff.
“In view of the instructions from the Accountant General, please stop the additional D1000.00 increase to the House to Office allowance [transport allowance] with effect from this month and recover the four months earlier paid in a reasonable manner,” stated the memo.
It could be recalled that in November 2023, the Cabinet in a meeting approved the increment of transport and residential allowances for civil servants. In a letter to the Ministry of Finance, the Personnel Management Office (PMO) wrote that President Adama Barrow and his ministers have considered and approved the increment of transport allowance from D1,500 to D2,500 and residential allowance from D1,700 to D3,000.
When The Voice contacted the Judicial Secretary, AbdouConteh, he explained that the memo was issued by the office of the Accountant General for the stoppage of transport allowances as well as the recovery of the allowances paid for the past months.
When asked whether the development affected the entire civil service, Mr. Conteh replied in the negative.