The Interim Director of Research and Innovation of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program (NEIP), Casper Kampoli, has clarified that only 19 staff members were suspended from their posts due to irregularities in their employment status.
According to him, “these staff members were appointed without legal backing, resulting in them being paid allowances instead of salaries, with no contributions to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).”
In an interview with GBC News on Monday, 24th February, Mr. Kampoli said “the payments were made by the presidency through operational expenses, but with the government’s downsizing efforts to reduce expenditures, these staff members can no longer be paid.”
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He emphasized that the reforms underway will determine how many of the 19 suspended staff members will return to their posts.
“Once this reform is done, it will be indicated how many people will be needed to work at NEIP. As it stands now, there is no money to pay them, and they couldn’t have continued to work with NEIP.”
“We promised to reset the country, and so all anomalies will not be allowed to continue. These staff didn’t even know their stats, whether they were permanent staff or contract staff, and so this reform is for their own benefit,” he added.
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On 21st February, the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program (NEIP), in a memo, asked all staff to stay home following extensive follow-ups to resolve issues related to the employment of existing staff.
NEIP said all staff are temporarily suspended until the complexity and legal implications of these issues that prevent them from using operational funds to pay monthly staff allowances are determined.
It said management has been instructed to adhere strictly to due process in regularizing staff employment matters to prevent further legal complications.
“As a result, effective Monday, 24th February, all staff are instructed not to report to work until these issues are fully resolved.”.
Mr. Kampoli said these reforms will bring some level of sanity to the recruitment of personnel to the institution and ensure that “due process is followed.”.