Don’t bite me!

The Public Service Commissioner will soon be enjoying increased fruits for his labours when his pay increase finally comes through. Epati is due an increase in salary because last year five top civil servants were recommended for an increase by Order in Council. Among others on the list were the Director of Audit and the Ombudsman or in our case, Ombudswoman. Epati won’t enjoy his increase for long as he has plans to leave the civil service and start up a consultancy service in the private sector. His pay increase could be viewed as a farewell bonus.
The former head of MFEM Sholan Ivaiti may soon be offered a position as Finance Officer with Infrastructure and Planning. Compared to his former job in the civil service, this one pays peanuts. Whether it’s within the Minister’s Support Office or the Ministry is not known. It is not a HOM position so concerned citizens can stop wailing, put away their hankies and get on with their own lives.
Aitutakian Resort operator Mike Henry’s name has surfaced among talk of possible candidates for the Chair of the Ports Authority. If Henry is appointed where will he find the time for his other passion-rugby?
Don’t know how much Telecom Cook Islands pays our government each year by way of a dividend? You must be asleep because it’s mentioned in the Budget document to parliament each year. Then again you probably don’t read this document. Last year the dividend was about $3 million. The dividend is not paid all in one hit though. It’s paid by way of several installments during the year. These installments are usually in the region of $450,000 to $500,000 and are paid by cheque to government by Telecom Holdings.

Headlines : Times 290 02 March 2009
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