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| Minister of Agriculture Hon. Cedric Liburd explained the ex gratia policy during an SKNIS interview. |
Basseterre, St. Kitts (March 23, 2006): The policy of ex gratia payments to former sugar workers was elaborated on by the minister of agriculture during an SKNIS interview.
Hon. Cedric Liburd explained that the key aspect of ex gratia payment was determined by a 20 year length of service followed by retirement from the industry within the 1975 to July 2005 period. Each person that qualifies is entitled to $1,500.00.
"If a person retires at age 62, and (has worked for) 20 years at SSMC, within the (1975 to 2005) period they are entitled to ex gratia payment," he said, citing an example. "They are some persons who stopped working from the industry and did not retire & they (were employed elsewhere)." They are not entitled to ex gratia payments because their final place of employment was not at SSMC.
Minister Liburd also disclosed that the sizeable amount of funds paid out as ex gratia is deserved by the former sugar workers.
"We have paid out over $750,000.00 under the ex gratia arrangement," he revealed. "The government felt that those persons made a significant contribution to the sugar industry and & to the building of this country."
