At its meeting on Tuesday 29th October 2002 the Board of NLTB made a number of important decisions, some of which are enumerated below:
- Financial Statements for the year 31st December 2001 This had earlier been approved and has now been signed by the President of the Board and the General Manager. 2001 was a difficult year for NLTB and this was reflected in its financial performance. We are currently working on the 2001 Annual Report, which will be issued in due course. Salient features of the 2001 performance are as follows:
1. |
A deficit of $1,187,893 was recorded, made up of operating deficit of $301,999 plus abnormal items of $885,894. |
2. |
The accumulated deficit as at 31st December 2000 was $1,968,090 bringing the total accumulated deficit as at 31/12/2001 to $3,155,983. |
The Board was informed that performance for the nine (9) months to 30/09/02 has been above budget and there should be a substantial reduction in the accumulated deficit shown above come 31/12/2002
The Organisation Restructure: The Board has approved a restructure that was recommended by Management. The main features of the restructure are as follows:
- An increase in the number of staff from 163 to 200 (i.e. 37). This increase is in the following areas.
| • |
Regional Offices |
25 |
| • |
Reserves Commissioner’s Office |
4 |
| • |
Geographical Information System |
5 |
| • |
Other |
3 |
|
TOTAL |
37 |
Staff numbers between 1993 and 1998 were always above 250 with a peak in 1995 at 259. In undertaking this restructure the Board is mindful of 3 things:
1. The removal of bottlenecks from within our system;
2. The improvement in the delivery of services to all our customers (landowners, tenants, etc.);
3. Keeping employment costs within reasonable limits to avoid possible redundancies in future.
Budget for 2003
The Board has approved its budget for 2003 as proposed by Management. The main features of the budget are as follows:
1. Projected income to increase by 12% over 2002 figures - This is expected to come from the normal issuance of leases as well as an improvement in the collection of arrears.
2. Projected Expenses to increase by 11% over 2002 figures - The main areas of increase are:
- An increase in employers contribution to FNPF by 2%.
- The provision of uniforms to all staff.
- An educational budget that will be invested in improving the ability of staff at all levels.
3. Projected Operating Surplus is $701,318 for 2003.
- It must be pointed out that any improvement in NLTB’s income can only come with corresponding increases in the amounts collected by landowners.
Subdivisions.
The Board has noted Management’s effort to undertake some small subdivisions for both agriculture and residential areas. Some of these are ready to be placed on the market. This exercise is expected to gather momentum in 2003. This aspect of our work is in line with targets set in our Corporate Plan which looks at ways and means of improving our income base so that there is less reliance on our poundage to fund the organisation. The benefits of such subdivisions will also accrue to the landowning units.
Public Relations
To assist in its quest for improvement in its services, the NLTB will be installing complaints/suggestion boxes in all its premises. A new toll-free number has also been installed to enable the public to request assistance and lodge complaints. Such request will be seen by the General Manager or one of his deputies within 48 hours. The number is 0800 3312 363.
Sugar Industry
As a member of the Sugar Industry Restructure Steering Committee, I would like to confirm NLTB’s commitment to the revitalizing of this important industry. We are an important stakeholder and I give my assurance that we will always be supportive of any attempts to revive the industry. The interest of the landowner is inextricably interwoven into the fabric of the sugar industry.
The improvements listed above will all assist in achieving the mission statement of our Corporate Plan, which is to be a "dynamic and efficient organisation that provides quality services in partnership with the stakeholders to create wealth."
K BAKANI
General Manager
Thursday, October 31, 2002
