In response to growing concerns over the delayed salaries of police officers in Haiti, the Mission Security Support to Haiti (MSSM) has confirmed that the disbursement process for officers' salaries has been finalised, with payments expected to reflect in individual accounts within the week.
According to an official statement from MSSM, the administrative hurdles that caused the delay have been addressed.
"The process for the disbursement of salaries to the MSSM officers' accounts has been finalised and it is expected that the same will soon be reflected in their individual bank accounts in the course of this week," the statement noted.
The statement further reassured that an "elaborate mechanism" has been established to ensure that future payments will be promptly processed at the end of each month.
"Going forward, elaborate mechanisms have been put in place where payments will be promptly done at the end of the month. Therefore, there is nothing to worry about welfare issues of the MSS officers since mainstream processes have been finalised," the agency emphasised.
The MSSM also highlighted the supportive infrastructure that has been instrumental in keeping the officers connected with their families and maintaining morale.
"The MSSM officers have been enjoying and continue to make use of the available communication and interactive systems which have enabled them to communicate with their loved ones back at home," the statement added.
This announcement comes as a relief to the officers who are part of the Mission Security Support to Haiti, which operates under the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy and is supported by a Trust Fund facilitated by voluntary donations from donor countries.
"The concerned body has moved with speed to put in place elaborate mechanisms and framework which have operationalized the usage of the Trust Fund," MSSM reported.
Despite the challenges of deployment, MSSM and the Haitian National Police (HNP) have reported several achievements in their joint efforts to stabilise the region.
