LEN staff begin receiving outstanding monies

CASH-STRAPPED LINDEN ENTERPRISE NETWORK (LEN) has begun paying employees
outstanding monies Ms Valarie Patterson, Secretary of the Board of Directors has confirmed.
At a meeting (this week) I had a discussion with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO, Ms. Tanniza
Gasper)…and the accounting staff…and we were able to put measures in place so July salary
was paid and leave passages were paid,” Patterson told www.aroundtheregions.com
“Gratuity will (also) be paid. I am awaiting on the CEO to complete the performance appraisals
because gratuity is paid base on the performance appraisals. Patterson also confirmed.
Patterson said payment of outstanding leave passage has also been resolved with LEN
employees. although the financial institution is “in dire straits for finances”.
She admitted the cash-strapped institution doesn’t have sufficient funds in its coffers to cover
current expenses and expects staff “encountering difficulties in receiving their salaries moving
forward.” If there are no improvements, Patterson warns LEN administrators will have to trim
the staff.
“Based on a report from the CEO, letters were written to the Finance Secretary (in the Ministry
of Finance) concerning the financial state of LEN right now. There are not enough monies
available to take care of LEN’s expenses which includes the paying of salaries and other
benefits, paying bills such as GTT, electricity, garbage collection and disposal, cleaning of the
building,” Patterson disclosed.
LEN as a business incubator, has so far been ignored by the one-year-old Irfaan Ally government
plunging the institution deeper into crisis, according to Patterson.
“As you are aware LEN is a business incubator and there are several small businesses that are
paying the rent. However, all of them are not up-to-date, and the management – and staff – are
doing what they have to do…to collect installments and arrears. However, the operational

expenses cannot be totally covered by the level of repayment and rent that come in on a monthly
basis.”
The Ministry of Finance is well aware of this and the fact that no new loans are being issued that
they earn from…in terms of fees and so on are not coming in, so the Ministry of Finance has put
LEN in an insecure position. I dare say this is where it was prior to the 2015 National and
Regional elections and that has to change,” she counselled.
The life of LEN Board expired since December 31, 2020, and so far, the government has not
announced its replacement.
“I am the only person as the Company Secretary who is there signing cheques and
overlooking LEN at this point in time,” Patterson said.