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‘PSS money released today or Monday’
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Posted on Jan 06 2005
The Babauta administration said that some $1.5 million would be released to the Public School System either today or Monday, citing that the lack of funds was due to the delay in the arrival of reimbursement money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“What happened was that local funds had been used up for immediate repairs following the typhoons. But reimbursement money was delayed. It didn’t come until yesterday,” said press secretary Peter A. Callaghan yesterday.
He said the $1.5 million reimbursement funds would be given to PSS.
“It usually takes a day or two for the money to be processed. As soon as it reaches our bank, it would be transferred to the PSS account. So PSS should get it today or no later than Monday,” said Callaghan.
Given that, he said, “there’s no reason for PSS not to pay their teachers and staff tomorrow [Friday]…especially now that they know money is coming.”
Callaghan pointed out that PSS had used other means to pay its personnel last month.
Education deputy commissioner for administration David Borja said Wednesday that PSS resorted to a financing scheme to be able to pay its personnel during the last pay period last year.
PSS said it needs $1.3 million for the payroll of its over 1,000 personnel each month.
Callaghan said that Finance deputy secretary Bob Schrack has talked with the PSS finance chief to assure him that the reimbursement money would reach PSS today or Monday.
Further, Callaghan said that PSS would get another $5.1 million in Compact Impact funds by next week.
The Babauta administration has set aside all Compact Impact funds in the next four years to PSS. The amount totals over $20 million.
