Commissioner of Police, Gary Griffith has thanked the Finance Minister for the expected sum of $200 million which is meant to help the TTPS clear up some debts.
Speaking at a TTPS media briefing on Tuesday, Griffith said there had been an increase in costs, however he thanked Finance Minister Colm Imbert for the injection of funds, which he said will pay off last year’s outstanding debt and put a dent in this year’s.
“There was a $200 million decrease in budget and we will make do with what we have,” Griffith said, adding that the shortfall is being rectified by the Finance Ministry.
“I understand that the country is cash-strapped, so I have to be very tight on the budget to ensure that the police achieve its objective. Of the $200 million, 100 will go towards last year’s bills, while the other 100 (will) go towards this year. Hopefully the rest will be provided before the end of this fiscal year.
He said “As the accountant I have to ensure we get maximum use of every cent that we get. I have cut costs tremendously I have looked at every little thing so to utilise the funds in the right manner.”
Griffith said there is a $330 million financial hole for this fiscal year that the police need to climb out of, and was grateful for the $100 million to kick-start the journey.
He said the cost of operating now with the pandemic and the country under a state of emergency has been high and he promised to calculate and inform the media on the projected financial increases related to the SoE.
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