A retired public servant, now consultant and contract worker, is being accused of double dipping as the country’s unemployment rate nears a staggering 40%.
Norman Tynes, former head the Ministry of Works on Grand Bahama, although long retired from that post – since 2015 to be exact – was brought back as a contractual worker for the Ministry in July of this year. The 70-year-old, who spent over 40 years in the civil service before collecting his retirement benefits, is now collecting a sizeable salary with the Ministry and will be entitled to additional benefits when his contract comes to an end. He is also reportedly taking home around $200 per house as an inspector with the Disaster Reconstruction Authority where he serves as a consultant, along with pension benefits from his previous stint with the Ministry of Works.
With rising unemployment and a stagnant economy because of the Minnis administration’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, word of Tynes’ fortunate state of employment with two government entities is not sitting well with some Grand Bahamians. Many of them say they are finding it increasingly more difficult to make ends meet.