Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda has confirmed that public servants will receive their extra salary payment in December 2024, rather than January 2025 as previously announced.

During his budget presentation, Browne stated, “I wish to reaffirm our government’s commitment to public servants.”

The announcement follows salary increase negotiations that concluded in late 2023, with implementations taking effect in January 2024.

“We must now generate the resources to pay the retroactive amounts due to public servants in the shortest possible time,” Prime Minister Browne noted in his capacity as finance minister.

Addressing the payment timeline, Browne explained that while a contribution to retroactive pay was made in 2022, “it is our intention to make a second contribution in the form of one month’s gross basic pay.”

He concluded by stating, “Initially I had said that perhaps not before January next year, but I am pleased to announce that we make sure that we pay this additional salary before the end of December.”