Tyrone Reid, Enterprise Reporter

Whether inadvertently or deliberately, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) has admitted that it omitted the names of two consultants from a list it sent to The Sunday Gleaner that should have contained the names, positions and job descriptions of all persons employed directly to the OPM.

After The Sunday Gleaner received and published the seven-member list, which included a chief advisor, two senior advisors, two special assistants, a press secretary and an executive assistant at a combined cost of $18 million per year, it was brought to our attention that some names were not included.

When confronted with the information, the OPM responded in writing almost a week later confessing that they had omitted the names.

"I am directed to inform you in writing that the names of two of the persons identified in your email of November 28, 2006 namely, Dr. Glenda Simms and Jennifer Edwards were left off the document provided to you, dated November 15, 2006," read a letter signed by Rohan McCalla, director of Documentation/Information and Access Services at the OPM, sent on behalf of Permanent Secretary Pat Sinclair McCalla.

While the OPM contended that Dr. Simms' name was omitted because she is not paid by the Government for her services, it is unclear why Edwards' name was not included.

"Dr. Simms' name was not supplied based on the fact that she is not paid by the Government of Jamaica. In the case of Miss Jennifer Edwards, she is a consultant who deals primarily with citizens' mail," the letter stated.

"Emanating from the citizens' mail, she is also responsible for collaborating with regional, parish, non-governmental organisations and other volunteer groups in the implementation of recommended solutions related to the social renewal programme (Values and Attitude) and other projects."

Not amused

For her services, Edwards is paid a salary of $1.9 million and close to half a million dollars in travelling allowance per annum.

When contacted, the consultant was not amused. In apparent contradiction to the letter sent by the OPM, she told The Sunday Gleaner that she is not directly employed to Mrs. Simpson Miller but to her office. "I am not a consultant to the Prime Minister. I am a consultant to the Office of the Prime Minister," insisted Mrs. Edwards, who was a key player on the Team Portia campaign that secured the presidency of the People's National Party (PNP) for Mrs. Simpson Miller.

"I don't know why consultants have become such fascinating news all of a sudden," she added. "I work with the Prime Minister, I work with the Office of the Prime Minister and I work with the Government of Jamaica," she said.

On the other hand, Dr. Simms concurred with the OPM pointing out that her salary is paid by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). "I am not getting taxpayers' money," she said. Dr. Simms, who wears the hat of senior advisor to the Prime Minister on gender issues and women's affairs, said the Government only provides office space.

Althea Buchanan, advocacy and communications advisor at the UNFPA office for the English and Dutch speaking Caribbean, confirmed that Dr. Simms was employed as a consultant for UNFPA on Gender Issues since June 2005.

"At the request of the Government, UNFPA agreed to make her services available to the Government for developing a plan to strengthen the capacity of communities and government departments for gender mainstreaming," she said.

"Dr. Simms is serving for three months in that capacity, until the end of December 2006. She is employed within a project that also includes the provision of equipment (two laptops) and secretarial support (one assistant) for the same duration."

Buchanan pointed out that the request made by the Simpson Miller-led administration was not unusual.