GOVT. PAYCHECKS DELAYED.

Government employees in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) were not paid their bi-weekly salaries on April 8 because of a shortage of funds, reports CANA. Governor Charles Turnbull and members of the Senate are trying to find a way to ensure that the 13,000 employees are paid on time in the future. The Government shells out US$13 million every two weeks to pay public sector workers. Banks in the USVI have announced that they will waive late payment interest on loans because of the financial crisis facing the Government. Washington is a team from the U.S. Interior Department to determine ways and means to help the USVI Government, which is burdened by a US$1.3 billion debt, reports CANA (April 13, 1999).